Incomplete Consumption 🍕

• Not every bite of food is eaten!
• Real-world example: Ever leave crust on your pizza? That's energy not being passed on.
• Nature's Pizza: Locusts might munch on plant leaves but not the whole plant. When a lion catches a gazelle, it's likely not munching on the bones and fur.
• What happens to this "leftover" energy? 🤷‍♂️: It goes to the cleanup crew, like fungi or earthworms! They aren't part of the main food chain but still get energy.

Incomplete Digestion 🚽

• Ever had corn and, well, noticed it later? Some things just don’t get digested!
• For animals: Tough plant materials, like cellulose, sometimes just pass right through.
• Nature’s Toilet 🌿💩: That energy in the indigestible material goes to our buddies, the saprotrophs or detritus feeders, not the next animal in line.

Cell Respiration 🌬

• This is like your body's energy factory. It uses food as fuel and creates energy.
• However, when food (like carbs and proteins) is used for energy, it turns into carbon dioxide and water - which can't be eaten!
• So, the next animal in line can't use that carbon dioxide and water for its energy.

For every step you go up the food chain, there’s less energy. Why?

• It's not because the food contains less energy. In fact, food at higher levels might have more energy per gram!
• Real-world example: Think of a huge spinach salad vs. a tiny piece of chocolate. The chocolate might be smaller, but it packs an energy punch!
• Nature’s Chocolate Bar: Carnivores might be less in number than plants, but the energy they store is intense!

90/10 Rule

• You might've heard this: 90% of energy is lost when moving to the next level, and only 10% gets passed on. But nature doesn't like strict rules. So, while 90/10 is a good average, it can vary from one food chain to another!