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HIERARCHYOFBIOLGICAL
ORGANIZATION
ExploringLifeonitsManyLevels
1. Cellularandecologicallevel
2. Interactionoforganisminecosystem
3.Regulatorymechanismsensureadynamicbalanceinlivingsystems
1.Cellularandecologicallevel
Lifesbasiccharacteristicisahighdegreeoforder.
Biologicalorganizationisbasedonahierarchyof
structurallevels,eachbuildingonthelevelsbelow.
Atthelowestlevelareatomsthatareorderedinto
complexbiologicalmolecules.
Manymoleculesarearrangedintominutestructurecalled
organelles,whicharethecomponentsofcells.
Molecule:
Organelle:
Cellsarethesubunitsoforganisms,theunitsoflife.
Someorganismsconsistofasinglecells,othersare
multicellularaggregatesofspecializedcells.
Whethermulticellularorunicellular,allorganisms
mustaccomplishthesamefunctions:uptakeand
processingofnutrients,excretionofwastes,response
toenvironmentalstimuli,andreproductionamong
others.
Fig.1.2(3)
Lifecanbe
organizedintoa
hierarchyof
structurallevels.
Ateachsuccessive
leveladditional
emergentproperties
appear.
Fig.2.1
Multicellularorganismsexhibitthreemajorstructural
levelsabovethecell:similarcellsaregroupedintotissues,
severaltissuescoordinatetoformorgans,andseveral
organsformanorgansystem.
Forexample,tocoordinatelocomotorymovements,
sensoryinformationtravelsfromsenseorganstothe
brain,wherenervoustissuescomposedofbillionsof
interconnectedneurons,supportedbyconnectivetissue,
coordinatesignalsthattravelviaotherneuronstothe
individualmusclecells.
Fig.1.2(4)
Fig.1.2(5)
Organismsbelongtopopulations,localizedgroupof
organismsbelongingtothesamespecies.
Populationsofseveralspeciesinthesamearea
compriseabiologicalcommunity.
Thesepopulationsinteractwiththeirphysical
environmenttoformanecosystem.
Fig.1.2(6)
Organisms
in
ecosystem
interact
continuously with the environment in
harmony
The dynamics of any ecosystem includes
the cycling of nutrients and the flow of
energy.
Fig.1.6
Chemoautotrophs
such
as
bacteria
and
archaens that do the same but use the energy
derived form an oxidation of molecules in their
substrate.
CO2in
atmosphere
Photosynthesis
Photo Cellular
synthesis respiration
Burning
offossil
fuelsand
wood
Phyto
plankton
Consumers
Consumers
Decomposition
Fig.1.7
Sun
Chemicalcycling
Energyflow
Heat
Primaryproducers
Primary
consumers
Detritus
Secondaryand
tertiaryconsumers
Microorganisms
andother
detritivores
Fig.1.8