Download Biological Organization

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Biological Organization
Living things come in an astonishing variety of shapes, sizes, and habits. Living systems
also range in size from groups of molecules that make up structures inside cells to the
collections of organisms that make up the biosphere. No single biologist could study all
this diversity, so biology is divided into different fields. Some fields are based on the
types of organisms being studied. Zoologists study animals. Botanists study plants.
Other fields study life from a particular perspective. For example, paleontologists study
ancient life. For simplicity, biology is organized. Organization in biology exists in a
hierarchical structure. Organization exists within organisms (first semester of Biology), as
well as within environments (second semester of Biology).
#1 ATOM: The most fundamental level of organization on Earth is the atom. All matter in
the universe is composed of atoms. About 99% of the atoms in living things are carbon,
hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur and phosphorus.
#2 MOLECULE:
Atoms join to form the
molecule. A molecule
consists of varying kinds of atoms bonded to one another.
#2.5 ORGANELLE: In some cells (eukaryotic mostly) organelles exist.
These are independent structures within a cell with a specialized job that
act together to allow the cell to fully function. Some examples include the
nucleus, ribosome & the mitochondria.
#3 CELL: The most basic unit of life is the cell. The cell is composed of
molecules of protein, carbohydrate, lipid and nucleic acid. The human body
consists of approximately 100 trillion cells.
#4 TISSUE: In some cases , cells operate independently. There are
unicellular organisms (bacteria & protozoa). In humans, cells are grouped
together to form tissues. In humans, some tissue examples include
nervous tissue, epithelial tissue and connective tissues.
#5 ORGAN: When various tissues join with one another, they can form an
organ. The heart organ contains various types of tissues: muscles tissue,
nerve tissue, membranous tissue and connective tissue.
#6: ORGAN SYSTEM: Various organs in combination are called an organ
system. An example of an organ system is the digestive system. It consists
of the esophagus, stomach, pancreas, small intestines, large intestines and
the liver.
#7: ORGANISM: The highest level of biological organization in this
semester is the organism. It is composed of numerous organ systems:
digestive, nervous, circulatory, respiratory, excretory and reproductive
system.
Your Task:
Create a visual representation of the seven levels of organization, without using examples from your text or this sheet of paper. Your
representation needs to include the 7 levels, an example of each and show the hierarchical and size differential between the levels.