noun phrase · academic
food chain
/ˈfuːd ˌtʃeɪn/FOOD CHAIN
Band 4-5speakingtask2
the sequence of organisms each dependent on the next as a source of food
Examples
“If a top predator disappears, the whole food chain can be disrupted.”
“Pollutants can move up the food chain and affect humans.”
“Studying the food chain helps scientists understand ecosystem health.”
Band 8 sentence
“Chemical pollution can bioaccumulate and travel up the food chain, harming predators at the top.”
Collocations
- disrupt the food chain
- top of the food chain
Word family
food nounchain noun
Common mistakes
food chain = food link→food chain
the food chains→the food chain
Say it for a higher band
5food link→6food web→7+food chain
Synonyms
food web
Easily confused
food web
“In a complex ecosystem, ecologists prefer to map the food web rather than a single food chain.”
Related words
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In Nature & Animals
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