CTYOnline Life Science Lesson 2.

1 Levels of Organization
SCENE 1-A
All organisms possess one or more cells. A unicellular organism performs all of its life functions in one cell. Cells in a multicellular organism work together to make the whole organism function.

SCENE 1-B
Some cells are specialized, which means they perform a particular task. Certain specialized cells can even group together to perform a certain task. Groups of specialized cells can then group together to accomplish bigger tasks and so on. You will learn about the ways cells organize. Levels of organization extend from the cell on up to the organism. Organisms can then form even higher levels of organization.

SCENE 1-C
This diagram shows the levels of organization you'll learn about, beginning with cells and building to what is known as an "ecosystem."

SCENE 2-A
The individual cell is the smallest organized unit of life and therefore is the first level of organization. Click on the cells panel to learn more. Cells that perform the same task are often the same size and shape. Specialized cells generally have a shape, or structure, related to what they do. For example, in plants, there are cells shaped especially for absorbing water from the soil. Other cells have special shapes for moving water and nutrients through a plant. THe shape of your blood cells allows them to carry oxygen and nutrients as they flow through your body. Cells in your muscles have a special shape that allows them to get longer or shorter, which helps you move.

SCENE 3-A
Tissues represent the second level of organization. To learn more, click on the issues panel.

SCENE 3-B
When specialized cells group together to perform a common function, they are called a "tissue." Muscle cells work together to form muscle tissue. Other tissues are made of different types of specialized cells.

SCENE 3-C
Plants have several tissues. One type covers the outside of plants and other tissues transport water and nutrients. In humans, there are four main types of tissues that you'll learn about later.

SCENE 3-D
To see how cells in muscle tissue work together, move the arm one way or another. The muscle is made of many layers of muscle tissue As you move the arm, you'll see that the muscle get longer or shorter, allowing the arm to move. Click continue when you're done.

SCENE 4-A
Organs represent the third level of organization. To learn about organs, click the organs panel.
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SCENE 4-B
Groups of different kinds of tissue connected and working together to perform a particular task are called "organs." Your heart is an organ made up of different kinds of tissue. Without one or more tissues, your heart would not be able to function.

SCENE 5-A
Click the organ systems panel to learn about the fourth level of organization.

SCENE 5-B
A group of organs working together to perform a special function is called an "organ system." Humans have many different organ systems. A specific example of an organ system in an animal is the circulatory system. This organ system includes several organs such as the heart and blood vessels. Without the blood vessels, the circulatory system would not function. To test this, click on the highlighted blood vessels and drag them away from the body. As you see, the blood has no place to flow. For an organ system to work, all parts must be present and function together.

SCENE 6-A
Click on the organism panel to learn about the next level of organization.

SCENE 6-B
Cells, tissues, organs and organ systems all function together to make an organism. You are an organism. Your specialized cells make tissues; several tissues form an organ; several organs form an organ system, and several different organ systems together form an organism, like you.

SCENE 6-C
Plants are also organisms. They are made of cells, tissues, organs and organ systems that work together. These levels of organization allow plants to make energy from sunlight and move water and nutrients from the soil through the plant.

SCENE 7-A
The next level of organization extends beyond a single organism. To learn more, please click on the population panel.

SCENE 7-B
A group of the same type of organisms living together is called a "population." All of the goldfish in this tank form a population.

SCENE 7-C
All of the people in this tribe form a population. A forest of one type of tree forms a population. If a fire or disease destroyed all except one of the pine trees in this area, then the population would be reduced to one organism.

SCENE 8-A
Populations also form levels of organization. Click the communities panel to learn more.

SCENE 8-B
As you see, some populations share an area with other populations. Two or more different populations in the same area are known as "communities." Click on the highlighted areas to see the different populations that make up this community. A population of frogs lives among the reeds.
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Many populations of insects live under this plant. A population of fish is hiding under the lily pads. All of the populations living together in the pond form a pond community.

SCENE 9-A
The next level of organization is called an "ecosystem." To learn more, click on the ecosystem panel.

SCENE 9-B
An ecosystem is all of the different populations in a community along with all the nonliving things around them. Some of the nonliving things include air, water, weather, rocks, and soil. If the nonliving things are not included, it is not considered an ecosystem.

SCENE 9-C
Ecosystems can be small or large. Your backyard is a kind of ecosystem. It includes all of the worms, insects, grass, rocks, the fence and the air in your yard. A forest, a jungle and a desert are examples of larger ecosystems. You can explore the factors that make up an ecosystem in more detail in a future lesson.

SCENE 9-D
Now, before you complete this lesson, take a minute to see all of the levels of organization from ecosystems down to single cells or from cells up to the ecosystem. Simply click on the up or down buttons to examine each level, then click continue to end the lesson.

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