About .001 of the energy captured by photosynthesis passes through to __________.

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The question asks: 'About .001 of the energy captured by photosynthesis passes through to __________.'

Option a: Secondary Carnivores. This is the correct choice. In ecological energy flow, energy is transferred up trophic levels with substantial losses at each step; only a tiny fraction (on the order of ~0.1% to 1%) typically moves from one trophic level to the next, and secondary carnivores represent a higher trophic level where previos energy has already been transferred from producers to primary consumers, then to carnivores. Thus, a small fraction reaches secondary carnivores.

Option b: Primary Carnivores. While some energy does reach primary carnivores (carnivores that eat herbivores), the statement specifies the extremely small fraction that passes through multiple transfers. The phrasing 'passes through to' and the commonly cited ~0.001 (0.1%) is more characteristic of energy continuing to higher-level consumers, i.e., secondary carnivores, not just primary carnivores.

Option c: Herbivores. This option would imply a larger share of energy moves to herbivores (primary consumers). While producers transfer energy to herbivores, the textbook figure of ~0.001 represents the even smaller fraction that passes to higher trophic levels beyond the primary consumers.

Option d: Producers. Producers capture energy from the sun, but the question asks what fraction of energy captured by photosynthesis passes through to another level; the energy does pass through producers first (as they capture it) but the asked transfer is to the next trophic level, not to another group of producers. Therefore, this option is not the target of the 'passes through to' phrasing.

In summary, the tiny fraction of energy that makes it to higher trophic levels after producers is most often associated with secondary consumers, which is why Option a is correct. The other choices misstate the trophic transfer point or underestimate how energy is partitioned across trophic levels.

BIO 181 (001&002) FALL 2025 FA25: Exam 2: Ecology - You got this! : )

About .001 of the energy captured by photosynthesis passes through to __________.

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