串联 (chuàn lián) literally combines 串 (chuàn), meaning 'to string together' or 'to thread', and 联 (lián), meaning 'to connect' or 'to link'. Together, it conveys the idea of linking things in sequence — like beads on a string — forming a continuous chain or series. It’s commonly used in technical contexts (e.g., electrical circuits where components are connected end-to-end) and biological contexts (e.g., describing how animal behaviors or neural signals propagate sequentially).

In zoology and ethology, 串联 often describes instinctive behavioral chains in animals — for example, when one action automatically triggers the next in a fixed sequence, such as a bird’s nest-building steps or a predator’s hunting sequence. Though it can appear in electronics or computing, its use in animal behavior is distinctive and pedagogically valuable for learners studying Chinese science vocabulary.