Levels of Organization
Introduction
- At the very simplest level, humans are made of nothing more than atoms.
- However this fails to capture its complexity.
- Instead, we recognize atoms as the first level of organization.
- Higher levels of complexity are created by combining structures from the level below.
In anatomy and physiology
- The levels of organization usually found in anatomy and physiology are:
- Molecules
- Molecules are composed of atoms bonded together.
- Examples of molecules are water, carbon dioxide, proteins, and sugars.
- Organelles
- Organelles are structures inside cells that carry out a specific function.
- Cells
- A cell is the smallest unit of a living organism that can function independantly.
- Tissues
- A tissue is a group of similar cells that work together to perform a shared function.
- Organ
- An organ is made up of at least two tissues, and performs at least one function.
- Organ System
- An organ system is made up from a group of organs.
- They perform major functions such as digestion and respiration.
- Many organs can belong to multiple organ systems.
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