Our body is a pretty fantastic feat of engineering. But how does it work? How do all of the different components come together to keep us alive, keep us functioning and achieving our goals?
In this video we are going to look at the levels of organisation in organisms, from smaller than cells to bigger than organs.
In unicellular organisms, the single cells performs all life functions. However, multicellular organisms have various levels of organisation within them.
All living things are made up of cells; this is what distinguishes them as living. Cells are the building blocks of life. Inside cells are little organelles.
These are specialised structures that carry out particular jobs or functions. Like in this animal cell, the mitochondria provides energy to the cell. And the ribosomes are involved in protein synthesis.
Cells themselves are the basic structures that make up living organisms.
In multicellular organisms, they are differentiated to carry out different roles. Here are a few specialised human cells...
Groups of cells then function together to form tissues. In humans, we have 4 main types of tissue. And in plants… the xylem and phloem are examples of plant tissues.
When there are layers of tissue working together, they form an organ. Organs are specialised to carry out specific life processes. All animals contain organs. In fact, mammals have five vital organs that they cannot live without: kidneys, lungs, liver, heart, and brain.
But plants have organs too…
These specialised organs work together in organ systems, performing body functions. Organ systems keep the body regulated and in a stable state. The human body has 11 organ systems.
Organisms are entire living things that can carry out all basic life processes. Multicellular organisms are made up of organ systems, but unicellular organisms such as bacteria or protist are made up of one cell.
So there are the levels of organisation in multicellular organisms.
Organelles → cells → tissues → organs → organ systems → organisms
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