TOPIC: LEVELS OF ORGANISATION

OBJECTIVES:
 Outline the levels of organisation
 Define levels of organisation
 Give examples
 Identify different levels of organisation in drawing,
diagrams and images of familiar and unfamiliar.
 Relate structure to function of the following
specialised cells.
1. Ciliated cells
2. Root hair cells
3. Nerve cells
4. Red blood cells
5. Sperm and egg cells
6. Palisade cells
7. Xylem cells

LEVELS OF ORGANISATION FROM CELL TO

ECOSYSTEM.
1.Cell
-basic unit of structure and function in living organisms
-it carries all the information pertaining to what we
call life.
-recall on charecteristics of living organisms eg
*reproduction (sperm and egg)
*nutrition (palisade cell)
2.Tissue
- a group of cells with similar structures, working
together to perform a shared function.
Examples
*palisade mesophyll tissue -photosynthesis.
*nerve tissue- conduction of electrical impulses.

3.Organ
- a structure made up of a
group of tissues, working together to perform
specific function.
orExample:
*leaf made up of
-palisade mesophyll tissue ( with chloroplast to
capture sunlight needed for photosynthesis)
 -Spongy mesophyll tissue (irregular shaped cells to
live spaces for gaseous exchange ,carbon dioxide
needed for photosynthesis and oxygen a by product
of photosynthesis)
-xylem tissue (transport water needed for
photosynthesis)
-phloem tissue (transpt products of photosynthesis).
4. Organ system

- a group of organs with related functions, working

together to perform body functions.
Examples:
-transport system in plants( comprised of the roots,
stem, and leaves these contain phloem and xylem
tissues invoved in the transport system).
-transport system in mammals (comprised mainly of
the blood vessels, heart and lungs working together
in the distribution of blood containing nutrients
,oxygen,hormones,as well as wastes.
5.Organism
-refers to a living thing that has an organized
structure, can react to stimuli, reproduce, grow,
adapt, and cabable of maintaining internal
environment constant.
Examples:
animal, plant, fungus, protist, bacterium.
6. Population
- all the organisms of the same type or species who
live in a particular area,at a specific time and are
capable of interbreeding to produce viable offspring.
Examples:
-population of students at st ignatius college
-population of monkeys at Mukuvisi Woodlands.
7. Community:
- a group of various species in a common location.
Examples:
-St Ignatius college comprised of
people,monkeys,variety of plants .
-Lake Chivero dam- variety of fish,protista,crocodiles.
8. Ecosystem
-a system that includes all living organisms in
an area as well as its physical environment
working /interacting together as a unit.
Example
 -Mukuvisi Woolands -components are *all the
five kingdoms, the sun,soil and air (gases like
oxygen ,carbon dioxide and nitrogen.)
SPECIALISED CELLS: RELATING STRUCTURE TO
FUNCTION
 CILIATED CELLS
Function:
ciliated cells – movement of mucus in the
trachea and bronchi.
Adaptation of ciliated cells to their function:
-Goblet cells -secrete mucus,
Mucus which traps inhaled particulate matter(
dust and pathogens) and protects the lining of
the trachea and bronchi.
Mucus also moistens the incoming air.
- cilia— minute, rhythmically beating hair like
processes that sweep the mucus ( trapped
particles) along the respiratory tract to the back of
the buccal cavity where they are swallowed..
NB It is not the cilia which trap the particles -don’t
confuse them with the hairs in the nose.

 ROOT HAIR CELL

Function -absorb water by osmosis and
minerals by diffusion and active
transport.
Adaptation of root hair cells to their function:
- root hair cells have a large permanent
vacuole (low water potential). This speeds up
the movement of water by osmosis.
-root hair cell is long and narrow . This
increases the surface area to volume ratio of the
cell. As a result ,water and mineral salts can be
efficiently absorbed from the soil.
-Being long and narrow (one cell thick) it can
easily penetrate through the soil particles to
efficiently absorb water and minerals which
adsorb on soil particles.
 RED BLOOD CELLS
Function :
Transport oxygen

Adaptation of red blood cells to their function:

-Have a thin outer membrane to let oxygen diffuse
through easily.
-Contains a pigment called haemoglobin -which
transports oxygen from the lungs to all parts of the
body.
-Has no nucleus ,enabling it to carry more haemoglobin
and hence more oxygen.
-Has a circular biconcave shape .This increases the
surface area to volume ratio of the cell. As a result
,oxygen can diffuse into and out of the entire cell at a
faster rate.
-Because of its shape it can change into various shapes
so that it can squeeze through narrow blood vessels.
 XYLEM VESSEL
Function:
Conduct/transport water and mineral
salts.

ADAPTATIONS OF XYLEM TO FUNCTIONS

 No living protoplasts (dead cells) to
hinder passage of water and mineral salts
/presents of a lumen or empty lumen-
water move freely in the xylem.
 End walls perforated -this allows water to
flow in a continuous colmn i.e no end
walls to impede water flow from the
roots to the leaves.
 The walls are impregnated with lignin
making them rigid to prevent them
collapsing under the large tension forces
set up by the transpiration pull hence
they provide mechanical support to the
plant .Walls have high tensile strength
because of lignin..
 Lignified walls also increase the adhesion
of water molecules and helps the water
to rise by capillarity( adhesion is the
tendency of unlike molecules to cling
together)- adhesion forces between the
water molecules and the walls of xylem
vessels, help water to rise in xylem.
 Unlignified pits (boredered pits) located
at particular points in the lignified wall
and they permit lateral flow of water
where this is necessary between the
xylem vessels as in the case of
overcoming blockages and air locks.
 Also lateral flow of water into the phloem
to increase mass flow sucrose .
 The narrowness of the lumen of xylem
vessels increases the capillary forces
(capillarity -rising of water in fine tubes
due to the high surface tension of water)
 Narrow lumen and presence of lignin
helps water to move up by capillary
action. Upward movement within a tube
occurs because of the cohesion of
individual water molecules to each other
and the adhesion of water to the sides of
the tube.