A primary consumer is an animal that eats plants (producers) to gain energy. Primary consumers are herbivores and form the second level in a food chain, after the producers. They play an important role in transferring energy from plants to higher levels in the food chain. Examples include rabbits, cows, and caterpillars. Understanding the role of primary consumers helps explain how energy flows through ecosystems, which is a key ecological concept in GCSE Biology.
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