MODULE 4 – LEVEL OF ORGANIZATION
Level of organization refers to the structures in nature that are defined by part-whole relationships, with things at higher
        levels being composed of things at the next lower level.
        The scientific study of these helps us gain insights into the complexities of their structure and functions.
                   Level of                                     Description                                       Example 1
                   Organization
                      BIOSPHERE           Part of the Earth in which life exists including land,      all of the ecosystems on Planet
                                          water, air and atmosphere.                                 earth
POPULATION LEVEL
                        BIOME             Groups of ecosystems that have the same climate and         Tundra
                                          similar dominant communities
                     ECOSYSTEM            Groups of all the organisms that live in a particular       the Yellowstone community, plus
                                          place, together with their nonliving environment.          the energy, water, air, soil, etc.
                     COMMUNITY            Groups different populations that live together in a        the wolves, all the other animals,
                                          defined area                                               the plants of Yellowstone Park
                     POPULATION           Groups of individuals of the same species that live in      all of the wolves in Yellowstone
                                          the same area.
                      ORGANISM            Living things composed cells (multicellular                 a wolf
                                          organisms).
ORGANISMAL
                    ORGAN SYSTEM          Groups of organs that work together to                      the brain, the nerves, and sensory
                                          perform closely related functions.                         organs (skin, eyes, ears)
  LEVEL
                        ORGAN             Groups of tissues that work together to perform             the brain
                                          closely related functions.
                        TISSUE            Groups of similar cells that perform a particular           the nerve cells on the outer layer
                                          function.                                                  of the brain
                         CELL             The smallest unit of life – collections of living matter    a nerve cell
                                          enclosed by a barrier that separates them from their
CELLULAR
                                          surroundings.
  LEVEL
                     ORGANELLE            Specialized structures that perform important cellular      the nucleus of a nerve cell
                                          functions within cells
                      MOLECULE            The smallest units of most compounds                        a protein that lets nerve cells send
                                          formed by the chemical bonding of                          impulses
                                          atoms.
                         ATOM             The smallest unit of matter that cannot                     oxygen
                                          be broken down into anything simpler
                                          by chemical means.