HIERARCHY OF THE

BIOSPHERE
C
 It’s not a new fact that the smallest unit of living and non-living things is an
atom. Along the largest is the biosphere and beyond that is the universe. The
hierarchy of life on the biosphere which we know – Earth is a simple diagram that
shows us it’s where we fit in. The hierarchy starts with the simplest unit i.e., an atom.

• Let us see the Organization of Life in an ascending order which makes it easier to
explain.
Non-living Components
• There are subatomic particles like electrons, protons, and neutrons. And we
could go at micro nano levels too. But we will start with atoms to explain the
hierarchy.
• Atoms: it’s the smallest unit of any substance in the entire world. Atom is made of
neutrons, protons, and electrons. The number of electrons and protons in an
atom decides what kind it is starting with Hydrogen in the periodic table which
has only 1 electron and 1 proton
• Molecules: it’s a group of atoms which are attracted
together to bind together in strong or weak bonds.
• Biomolecules: there are specific molecules which are
required for living organisms called biomolecules. These help
in different metabolic activities happening in a living body.
Biomolecules are naturally found in the environment or are
synthesized in the body.
 Living Components

• Organelle: these are a specific section in the where biomolecules are used or
synthesized. Several biochemical reactions happen in this particular space. Each
organelle has its own lipid layered membranes to enclose all the reaction in them.
• Cell: cells are the basic unit of life in which each has its own set of organelles in it.
All the organelles have their own function and collaborate with each other taking
care of the requirements of the cells.
• Tissue: Cluster of the same group of cells functioning at its own. Cell to cell
interaction can be seen in a tissue.
• Organ: Group of tissue which cluster up to become functional and work with
specific goal.
• Organ systems: the organs connect together to work for a specific goal creating
an organ system.
• Organism: it’s an independent living system which comprises at least one cell or
more.
• Population: it’s a cluster of organisms of the same species associated
together.
• Biocoenosis or Community: 2 or more species assemble in a particular
geographical area interacting each other.
• Ecosystem: According to a particular environment, a group of organisms
collaborate and survive as an ecosystem. This depends on the nonliving
environment surrounding the organism.
• Biome: it’s a community of ecosystem which survives in common
environment. There are 2 major subdivisions for a biome. They are Terrestrial
and Marine. But again there are a number of subdivisions for these 2 which
include types like Tropical, Tundra, desert, Pelecypod, Coral etc.
• Biosphere: biosphere is the collection of all ecosystem. Earth is one
biosphere where you can find all the living ecosystem that we know exist.
 All the living organisms we find are a small part of this hierarchy. It
took a ton of research, which meant a lot of time and work to put forth
this organization from a single atom to a biosphere which is the most
complicated one. The hierarchy of organizations of life, help us to
understand that we humans are not the dominant beings present in this
world. This world belongs to much more than we can think of. Also, we
need a mutual relationship with each segment of the hierarchical levels.
 Exploring an Ecological Address
You know what street you live on and what town you
live in, but do you know where you live ecologically?
Ecological address can tell you much about your place in
the world, whether your street address places you in the
middle of a city, on a rural road in the country, or
somewhere in between. There are nine components of your
ecological address that are listed below. The characteristics
of each component help determine the effects your actions
have on your environment.
River Basin
• A river basin is all of the land that water flows across or under on its way to a river.
Everyone lives in a river basin, even if you are very far from any body of water.

Soil
• Soil is the loose top layer of the earth's surface. It is made up of weathered rock
materials and decayed organic matter. What kind of soil do you have where you
live? Is it red clay, sandy loam, or something else? Soil type can determine what
kinds of plants can grow, how much water can be absorbed, and what happens
when toxic materials are spilled on the ground.

Energy
• Energy is the ability to do work. Everything we do requires energy, whether it be from the food
we eat or fossil fuels that we need for the cars we drive or the electricity in our homes. How we
use energy and where it comes from can have an effect on our environment.
Topography
• Do you live in the coastal plain or in the mountains? Are there a lot of hills where you
live, or is it mostly flat? Topography describes the physical features of an area, or the
terrain. It can influence water drainage, soil erosion, and plant growth. We pay special
attention to the topography during times of heavy rains since it determines who will be
flooded and who will stay dry.

Groundwater
• Groundwater is the water found in cracks and pores in sand, gravel, and rocks below
the surface of the earth. If water flows through contaminated soil, it can contaminate
the groundwater supply.

Biodiversity
• Biodiversity is the total amount of genes, species, and ecosystems in a region. Humans
depend on biodiversity for food and medicine. Often times the loss of even a single
species can have a major impact on the ecosystem as a whole.
Climate
• How much rain or snow does your area get in an average year? What
are the average temperatures? Climate is the average weather
conditions for a specific region. It determines what kinds of plants you will
see in your area as well as what leisure activities might be popular.

Your Ecological Footprint

• Every one of us leaves behind an ecological footprint. We all need and
use natural resources to survive. Driving habits, eating habits, and
household activities can effect the size of that footprint. How large is
your footprint?
Wetlands
• A wetland is an area where the water table is at, near, or above the land
surface long enough during the year to support water-dependent plants.
Wetlands help slow down and regulate water flow, preventing floods.
They also help to filter pollutants out of water before it reaches major
waterways.

Air
• Air, made up mostly of nitrogen and oxygen, envelops the earth and
makes life possible. The things we do every day effect the quality of our air
and the air of people living downwind of us. Some of the pollutants found
in air cannot be seen or smelled, but can have quite an impact on our
health.
 Ecosystem
• Ecosystem, the complex of living organisms, their physical environment, and all their
interrelationships in a particular unit of space.
• An ecosystem can be categorized into its abiotic constituents,
including minerals, climate, soil, water, sunlight, and all other nonliving elements, and its
biotic constituents, consisting of all its living members. Linking these constituents together
are two major forces: the flow of energy through the ecosystem, and the cycling
of nutrients within the ecosystem.
• The fundamental source of energy in almost all ecosystems is radiant energy from the Sun. The
energy of sunlight is used by the ecosystem’s autotrophic, or self-sustaining, organisms. Consisting
largely of green vegetation, these organisms are capable of photosynthesis—i.e., they can use the
energy of sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and water into simple, energy-rich carbohydrates. The
autotrophs use the energy stored within the simple carbohydrates to produce the more complex
organic compounds, such as proteins, lipids, and starches, that maintain the organisms’ life
processes. The autotrophic segment of the ecosystem is commonly referred to as the producer
level.
• Organic matter generated by autotrophs directly or indirectly sustains heterotrophic
organisms. Heterotrophs are the consumers of the ecosystem; they cannot make their
own food. They use, rearrange, and ultimately decompose the complex organic
materials built up by the autotrophs. All animals and fungi are heterotrophs, as are
most bacteria and many other microorganisms.
• Together, the autotrophs and heterotrophs form various trophic (feeding) levels in the
ecosystem: the producer level, composed of those organisms that make their own food;
the primary consumer level, composed of those organisms that feed on producers; the
secondary consumer level, composed of those organisms that feed on primary
consumers; and so on. The movement of organic matter and energy from the producer
level through various consumer levels makes up a food chain. For example, a typical
food chain in a grassland might be grass(producer) → mouse (primary consumer)
→ snake (secondary consumer) → hawk (tertiary consumer). Actually, in many cases the
food chains of the ecosystem overlap and interconnect, forming what ecologists call
a food web. The final link in all food chains is made up of decomposers, those
heterotrophs that break down dead organisms and organic wastes. A food chain in
which the primary consumer feeds on living plants is called a grazing pathway; that in
which the primary consumer feeds on dead plant matter is known as a detritus pathway.
Both pathways are important in accounting for the energy budget of the ecosystem.
Abiotic and Biotic Factors
 Abiotic Factors Definition

• Abiotic factors are non-living factors in an ecosystem. As part of the

ecosystem, these factors do affect the living things in it, but they are
not living themselves.
• The term “abiotic” comes from the root parts “a-” meaning
“without,” and “bio,” meaning “life.” The living parts of an
ecosystem are called “biotic factors.”
 Biotic Factors Definition
• Biotic factors are the living parts of an ecosystem.
• Because of the way ecosystems work – as complex systems
of competition and cooperation, where the action of every life form can
effect all the others – any living thing within an ecosystem can be
considered a biotic factor.
• Biotic factors such as soil bacteria, plant life, top predators, and polluters
can all profoundly shape which organisms can live in an ecosystems and
what survival strategies they use.
• Biotic factors, together with non-living abiotic factors such as temperature,
sunlight, geography, and chemistry, determine what ecosystems look like
and what ecological niches are available.
Types of Biotic Factors
• Biotic factors are grouped by scientists into three major groups, which define their role in
the flow of energy which all living things in the ecosystem need to survive. These groups
are producers or autotrophs, consumers or heterotrophs, and decomposers or
detritivores.

Producers
• Producers – also known as autotrophs, from the Greek words “auto” for “self” and
“troph” for “food” – are organisms that make their own food using inorganic materials
and energy sources.
• Producers are extremely important: without them, no life could exist at all!
• The very first life forms on Earth had to learn to make fuel and building materials to make
more cells out of non-living materials. That’s because when the first life forms appeared,
there were no other life forms to feed on! So the first life forms had to be producers.
Producers remain vital today as the life forms that can harness inorganic energy to be
used as fuel for life.
There are Two Major Classes of Producers:
• 1. Photoautotrophs are by far the most common type of producer on
Earth today. These producers harness energy from sunlight to power their
life functions. Green plants, green algae, and some bacteria are
photoautotrophs.
• Most photoautotrophs use a pigment, such as chlorophyll, to catch
photons from the Sun and harvest their energy. They then package that
energy into a form that all life forms can use, and use it to create
proteins, sugars, lipids, and more essential materials for life.
• In most ecosystems, plants – which are producers that are multicellular,
highly complex, and very efficient at turning sunlight into fuel for living
organisms – form the bottom of the energy pyramid. All other organisms
depend on the energy plants harvest from the Sun to survive.
•
• Chemoautotrophs are fairly rare in most ecosystems. They obtain energy
from chemicals such as hydrogen, iron, and sulfur, which are not common
in most environments. Nonetheless, they can still play an important role in
ecosystems because of their unusual biochemistry.
• Some methanogens – microorganisms that make methane – are
chemoautotrophs. Methane, a greenhouse gas which is much more
powerful than carbon dioxide, may play a major role in regulating the
planet’s temperature. Other chemoautotrophs can produce similarly
powerful chemicals with their unique metabolisms.
• It is actually not known whether the first forms of life on Earth were
photoautotrophs or chemoautotrophs. Photoautotrophs are more
common today, but that may simply be because sunlight is more plentiful
than the chemicals chemoautotrophs use as their energy source.
•
Consumers
• Consumers, also called “heterotrophs,” are organisms that eat other living organisms in
order to obtain energy. Their name comes from the Greek “hetero” for “other” and
“troph” for “food.”
• Herbivores who eat plants, carnivores who eat animals, and omnivores who eat both
plants and animals, are all heterotrophs.
• Heterotrophy probably evolved when some organisms discovered that they could eat
autotrophs as a source of energy, instead of creating their own energy and organic
materials.
• Some autotrophs subsequently evolved symbiotic relationships with consumers, such as
angiosperms – plants which produce nectars and fruits to attract animals, who ultimately
help them to reproduce.
• Most levels of most ecosystems’ energy pyramids consist of consumers – herbivores, minor
predators, and top predators who eat other organisms.
•
Decomposers
• Decomposers, or detritovores, are organisms that use organic compounds
from producers and consumers as their source of energy. They are important
to ecosystems because they break down materials from other living things
into simpler forms, which can then be used again by other organisms.
• Decomposers include soil bacteria, fungi, worms, flies, and other organisms
that break down dead materials or waste products from other life forms. They
are distinct from consumers, because consumers usually consume other
organisms while they are still alive.
• Decomposers, on the other hand, metabolize waste products that might not
be of interest to consumers, such as rotting fruit and dead animals. In the
process they break down these dead things into simpler chemicals that can
be used by heterotrophs to thrive and produce more energy for the
ecosystem as a whole.
Examples of Biotic Factors
• Cyanobacteria and Life on Earth
• Scientists believe that the earliest widespread form of life on Earth was cyanobacteria.
These fairly simple cells, which made food and organic materials from sunlight, played
a massively important role in creating all of Earth’s modern ecosystems.
• Prior to the success of cyanobacteria, Earth did not have an oxygen atmosphere. That
meant that aerobic respiration was not possible – and also meant that it was
impossible, or very difficult, for any organisms to live on land because of the DNA-
destroying ultraviolet radiation from our sun.
• However, cyanobacteria developed a method for storing the energy of sunlight in
organic molecules. For this they needed to take molecules of carbon from inorganic
sources, such as carbon dioxide in the air, and turn them into carbon-based organic
compounds such as sugars, proteins, and lipids.
Wolves in North America
• When European colonists arrived in North America, wolves were common in many of the
continent’s ecosystems. These large carnivores were the top predators in many places,
using a combination of their large size and teamwork to take down large prey animals.
• The colonists and their descendants hunted wolves fiercely, due to safety concerns over
the fact that wolves could eat sheep that farmers depended on for food, and could
even eat human children.

Humans
• In 2016, biologists around the world decided to declare that the Earth had entered a
new geologic era: the Anthropocene.
• The name “Anthropocene” comes from the Greek words “anthropo” for “human” and
“cene” meaning “new” or “recent.”
• This era is defined by the effects of human technology, which has caused massive
changes to the global ecosystem on par with the effects of past major climate change
events and even asteroid impacts.