Levels of Organization

Why do we need to learn about levels of organization?

• Helps us to understand how our world fits together

• Helps us to organize the structures of living systems and how they all work together

Organelles• “little organs”• These are

various small structures inside of the cell that perform specific functions

• Examples include mitochondria, nucleus, and Golgi body

Cell

•Basic unit of structure & function in life

Tissue

• A group of the same kind of cells working

together.

Organs

• Tissues that work together

Organ Systems

• Organs that work together.

Organism

• Entire living things (organisms)

• Usually made of systems but may be a single cell.

Population

• Same type of organism living together.

•This term is often used to describe the size of a group of organisms.

Community

• Several populations living together

and interacting in some way.

A community of Zebra, Wildebeest, Gazelle, and Lion populations in the Serengeti of Africa

Ecosystem

• All of the communities in an area and the abiotic factors that affect them