Biological Levels in Biology: The World Tour

Summary

The Amoeba Sisters' video script introduces the biological levels of organization, starting from the cellular level and moving up to the biosphere. It explains how cells form tissues, which make up organs, and these in turn create organ systems, contributing to an organism. The script further explores populations, communities, ecosystems, biomes, and the global biosphere, emphasizing the interconnectedness of all life and the importance of understanding these levels for a holistic view of biology.

Takeaways

• 🔬 The biological levels of organization are crucial for understanding how different components of life interact and relate to each other.
• 🌿 The cell is the most basic living unit that makes up all life forms, regardless of being a bacterium, archaeon, fungus, protist, plant, or animal.
• 👥 Organelles are smaller than cells and are important non-living components within cells that perform specific functions.
• 🤝 Tissues are formed when many cells work together for a combined function, such as cardiac muscle tissue made up of cardiac muscle cells.
• 💓 Organs are composed of tissues and perform specific functions within an organism, like the heart which is an example of an organ.
• 🔄 Organ systems consist of multiple organs working together to perform complex functions, such as the digestive system.
• 🐾 An individual organism is made up of organ systems, forming a complete living entity, like a person or a platypus.
• 🤗 A population is a group of individuals of the same species that can interbreed, like a group of platypi.
• 🌳 A community includes many populations of different species and is made up of biotic factors, excluding non-living elements.
• 🏞️ An ecosystem encompasses both biotic and abiotic factors, such as organisms and environmental conditions, interacting within a defined area.
• 🌍 Biomes are large regions on Earth with similar ecosystems, such as deserts or rainforests, characterized by specific climate and vegetation.
• 🌐 The biosphere represents the global ecological system integrating all living beings and their relationships with the environment.

Q & A

What is the most basic living unit in biological systems?

The most basic living unit in biological systems is the cell.

Can there be something smaller than a cell in biological systems?

Yes, organelles within cells, biomolecules, atoms, and subatomic particles are all smaller than a cell.

What is the next level of organization after cells in biological systems?

The next level of organization after cells is tissues, which are made up of many cells working together for a combined function.

How are tissues related to organs in the hierarchy of biological systems?

Tissues make up organs, with different types of tissues coming together to form the structures and functions of an organ.

What is an organ system and can you provide an example?

An organ system is a group of organs working together to perform a complex function. An example is the digestive system, which includes the stomach, intestines, and liver working together for digestion.

What is an organism and how does it relate to organ systems?

An organism is an individual living entity that consists of various organ systems working in unison to maintain life.

What is the difference between a population and a community in biological terms?

A population refers to a group of individuals of the same species that can interbreed, while a community includes multiple populations and does not include abiotic factors.

What are abiotic factors and why are they not considered in the community level of biological organization?

Abiotic factors are nonliving components such as rocks and temperature. They are not considered in the community level because the community level focuses on the interactions among living organisms (biotic factors).

How does an ecosystem differ from a community in the biological hierarchy?

An ecosystem includes both biotic factors (living organisms) and abiotic factors (nonliving components) interacting within an environment, whereas a community only includes the living organisms.

What is a biome and how does it relate to ecosystems?

A biome is a large community of plants and animals that占occupy a distinct region defined by its climate, geography, and the types of organisms found there. It is a collection of ecosystems found in different regions on the globe.

What is the biosphere and how does it encompass the levels of biological organization?

The biosphere is the global ecological system integrating all living beings and their relationships, including their interactions with the elements of the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere. It represents the sum of all biomes and is the largest level of biological organization.

Outlines

00:00

🌿 Introduction to Biological Levels of Organization

The paragraph introduces the concept of biological levels of organization, emphasizing their importance in understanding the relationships within biological systems. It starts with the most fundamental level, the cell, which is the basic living unit common to all life forms. The script then builds upon this foundation by explaining how cells come together to form tissues, which in turn form organs. These organs work in unison to create organ systems, such as the digestive system. The paragraph concludes by describing how these systems combine to form an individual organism, and how multiple organisms form populations and communities, ultimately leading to ecosystems and biomes. The biosphere, encompassing all biomes, is presented as the highest level of organization.

Keywords

💡Biological levels of organization

The biological levels of organization refer to the hierarchical structure of life, ranging from the most basic unit, the cell, to the most complex, the biosphere. This concept is central to the video's theme as it helps to understand how living organisms are structured and function at different scales. The video explains that all living things, from bacteria to humans, are composed of cells, which are the basic living units.

💡Cell

A cell is the smallest structural and functional unit of life. It is the most basic level of the biological hierarchy. The video emphasizes that all living organisms are composed of cells, highlighting the cell as the starting point for understanding the organization of life. Examples include bacteria, archaea, fungi, protists, plants, and animals, all of which are made up of cells.

💡Tissues

Tissues are groups of similar cells that work together to perform a specific function. They represent a higher level of organization than cells. The video uses cardiac muscle tissue as an example, which is composed of many cardiac muscle cells, to illustrate how cells can come together to form tissues.

💡Organs

Organs are structures made up of different types of tissues that work together to perform complex functions. They are a level of organization above tissues. The video mentions the heart as an example of an organ, which is composed of various tissues and is responsible for pumping blood throughout the body.

💡Organ systems

An organ system is a group of organs that work together to perform one or more related functions. This is a higher level of organization than individual organs. The video uses the digestive system as an example, which includes the stomach, small intestine, large intestine, and liver, all working together to digest food and provide energy.

💡Organism

An organism is an individual living entity, such as a human or an animal, that is composed of one or more organ systems. The video explains that when all the organ systems are considered together, they form an individual organism, which is a higher level of biological organization.

💡Population

A population is a group of individuals of the same species that live in the same area and can interbreed. The video introduces the concept by discussing a group of platypuses, indicating that a population consists of individuals of the same species that can breed with each other.

💡Community

A community is a collection of different populations of organisms living in a particular area. The video clarifies that a community includes biotic factors, which are living organisms, but does not include abiotic factors, which are nonliving elements like rocks or temperature.

💡Ecosystem

An ecosystem is a larger unit that includes both the biotic (living) and abiotic (nonliving) components of an environment. The video explains that when abiotic factors are considered along with the biotic factors and populations, the result is an ecosystem, which represents a complex interaction of life and environment.

💡Biome

A biome is a large ecological region characterized by its climate, geography, and the types of organisms that live there. The video mentions desert and rainforest biomes as examples, indicating that biomes are defined by the collective ecosystems found in different regions of the globe.

💡Biosphere

The biosphere is the global ecological system integrating all living beings and their relationships, including their interaction with the elements of the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere. The video concludes by describing the biosphere as the sum of all biomes, representing the totality of areas where life exists on Earth.

Highlights

Biological systems are composed of many levels, which when analyzed, can be related to each other and the whole system.

The cellular level is the most basic living unit, making up all of life, regardless of whether you're a bacterium, archaeon, fungus, protist, plant, or animal.

Organelles are smaller than the cells they are contained in, but are still considered part of the cellular structure.

Biomolecules are major nonliving components within cells, essential for their function.

Tissues are formed when a lot of cells work together for a combined function, such as cardiac muscle tissue.

Organs are the third level of biological organization, consisting of various tissues working together, like the heart.

An organ system is a group of organs working together, such as the digestive system with the stomach, intestines, and liver.

An organism is a complete individual with multiple organ systems, like a platypus.

A population is a group of organisms of the same species that can interbreed, like a population of platypi.

A community includes multiple populations of different species but does not include abiotic features.

Abiotic factors, such as rocks and temperature, are not considered in the community level, only biotic factors are.

An ecosystem includes both biotic factors and abiotic factors, creating a complex interaction.

A biome is a large community of ecosystems found in different regions, such as a desert or rainforest biome.

The biosphere is the sum of all biomes on Earth, representing the global level of biological organization.

Understanding the biological levels of organization helps to discover how these levels relate to each other and the whole system.

Staying curious is essential for learning more about biology and the interconnectedness of its levels of organization.

Transcripts

Captioning is on. Turn off by clicking the CC button at bottom right!

Follow us on Twitter (@AmoebaSisters) or Facebook!

If I asked you to describe the biological levels of organization, could you do it? What

would those levels be? Actually, what would be the point about caring about it in the

first place? Biological systems are composed of many levels. We care about them because

when these levels are analyzed, it’s possible to relate the levels not only to each other,

but the whole system. All of our videos tend to focus on one or more of these levels which

is why we have chosen to make this our first video in our biology playlist.

The first level that we are going to start with is the most basic, living level that

makes up all of life. It is…the cell. Can something be smaller than a cell? Sure. For

the cells that contain organelles, the organelles are obviously smaller than the cell they are

contained in. Biomolecules are smaller than cells. We learn about biomolecules as they

are major, nonliving components within cells. Atoms are smaller than a cell. You can even

get smaller than atoms when considering subatomic particles. But for this video, we’re going

to start at the cellular level, a basic living unit. It doesn’t matter whether you’re

a bacterium, arcaheon, fungus, protist, plant, or animal---if you’re alive, you are made

up of cells.

When you have a lot of cells that work together for a combined function, you end up with the

next level: tissues. An example of tissue includes cardiac muscle tissue, which would

be made up many cardiac muscle cells.

Tissues make up organs, which is our third level. You have a lot of organs in your body.

An example of an organ would include your heart.

When you have multiple organs working together in a body, you end up with an organ system.

Consider the digestive system. It includes your stomach, the small intestine, the large

intestine, liver, etc…these particular organs work together to help you digest your food

and use food for the energy you need for all kinds of cell processes. The digestive system

is just one example of an organ system.

But tie in all of the organ systems and what do you get? An individual. An organism. Like

you! Or, this platypus. He’s got organ systems too.

Put many platypus together…what’s the plural of platypus…according to dictionary.com,

you can say platypi which sounds especially fancy…and you have a population. This population

of platypi can breed with each other. They’re all the same species. It’s a platypi population.

That’s a great YouTube channel name right there.

But include other populations such as fish, algae, and plants along with the platypi and

now you have a community. A community includes many populations, but it does not include

abiotic features. Abiotic features are features that are nonliving. Like rocks. Abiotic factors

are NOT considered in the community level, just biotic factors. Biotic factors, on the

other hand, are living.

When abiotic factors are considered, such as the rocks, the temperature of this environment,

the water, and the biotic factors such as all the organisms we mentioned before, now

we have an ecosystem.

Well it turns out that many ecosystems can be found in different regions on the globe.

If talking about this collectively, you are at the level of biome. An example is a desert

biome or a rainforest biome. You will find desert ecosystems or rainforest ecosystems

in multiple places on the globe. When talking about a desert biome or rainforest biome,

you are considering these ecosystems.

What happens when you put all the biomes together? You are now considering our planet, the Earth---which

talking about the level of biosphere. The biosphere is the sum of all of these biomes---all

the areas where organisms live.

We’re finished with our tour of the biological levels of organization, but this is just an

overview. The more biology you learn, the more you will discover how these levels relate

to each other…and the whole system. That’s it for the Amoeba Sisters and we remind you

to stay curious!