There is a hierarchy to all things in life. Everything builds on everything else. This is especially true in living organisms. There are levels of organization inside of each living organisms and all of these levels have to work together in order to create a fully functioning organism. In turn, every fully functioning organism has a role to play in a wider hierarchy inside each ecosystem and each ecosystem has a role to play inside the overall biosphere.
From Cell to Organism
We have already discussed that cells are the smallest form of life and that all life begins at the cellular level. Cells have specific jobs within an organism depending on their type. For instance, red blood cells are responsible for carrying oxygen all over the body inside of your blood, while nerve cells are responsible for relaying information from your brain to your body and back again. Each cell has a specific function that it is designed for.
When a bunch of cells work together to perform a specific job, it is called a tissue. No, not like the kind you blow your nose in, but the kind that makes up most of your body. Cells by themselves can do some things but bigger jobs require bigger workers. Tissues line most of the inside of your body and keep things in that should be in or keep things out that should be out.
When a bunch of tissues come together to perform a specific job, we call it an organ. Your heart, lungs, kidneys, and even your skin is an organ. These perform jobs that cells or tissues alone cannot do. Keep in mind that all of these are still made of cells with each cell contributing to the whole organ, but it takes all of them working together for the organ to do its job.
A bunch of organs that work together to perform an overall job is called an organ system. This is something like your circulatory system, which is responsible for sending blood throughout your body, delivering oxygen, and picking up carbon dioxide. Organs involved in this process are the heart, veins, arteries, capillaries, etc.
All of the organ systems in a body working together make up the organism. Each organ system works together as they perform their own function. Those functions overlap in some areas so that everything that needs to get done does get done.
When a bunch of cells work together to perform a specific job, it is called a tissue. No, not like the kind you blow your nose in, but the kind that makes up most of your body. Cells by themselves can do some things but bigger jobs require bigger workers. Tissues line most of the inside of your body and keep things in that should be in or keep things out that should be out.
When a bunch of tissues come together to perform a specific job, we call it an organ. Your heart, lungs, kidneys, and even your skin is an organ. These perform jobs that cells or tissues alone cannot do. Keep in mind that all of these are still made of cells with each cell contributing to the whole organ, but it takes all of them working together for the organ to do its job.
A bunch of organs that work together to perform an overall job is called an organ system. This is something like your circulatory system, which is responsible for sending blood throughout your body, delivering oxygen, and picking up carbon dioxide. Organs involved in this process are the heart, veins, arteries, capillaries, etc.
All of the organ systems in a body working together make up the organism. Each organ system works together as they perform their own function. Those functions overlap in some areas so that everything that needs to get done does get done.
From Organism to Ecosystem
Each organism is important to the environment.