The result of one cause leading to an effect that causes one or more other effects.

• A. Molecule
• B. Competition
• C. Indirect effect
• D. Energy

Answer: (C)

This question is about how a single cause can trigger a chain of consequences. An indirect effect is when the initial cause creates a first change, and that change then causes additional changes elsewhere. It’s the cascading nature of effects, not a direct one-step outcome.

For example, in ecosystems, removing a predator can lead to more prey, which then overgraze plants and alter the vegetation—that sequence shows how the initial trigger sets off a cascade of secondary effects. That fits the idea of an indirect effect.

A molecule is a basic chemical unit, not about cause-and-effect chains. Competition describes organisms vying for the same resources, a direct interaction rather than a chain of downstream outcomes. Energy is a property that can be transferred or transformed, not a description of cascading effects.