Trophic level
Exam-ready definition
The position of an organism in a food chain, food web or pyramid. Producer, primary consumer, secondary consumer, and so on.
How this is marked
Energy-loss explanations between trophic levels are the dependable 4-6 mark question here: respiration, heat, movement, excretion, and parts not eaten or not digested. Name at least three distinct losses for full marks.
In an exam answer
Explaining a pyramid: 'Only about 10% of energy passes from one trophic level to the next, the rest being lost through respiration, movement and heat.'
Full topic guide: Organisms & their environment
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