Levels of Biological

Organization 
To study the biological level of organization, we need
to start with the simplest building blocks of life. 

communities
Cells populations,
,

ecosystem,
Tissues organisms,
and

organ
Organs biosphere.
systems,
cells
The cell is the smallest independently functioning unit of a living organism. 

A cell can regulate its internal environment, take in and use energy, respond to its environment, and
develop and maintain its complex organization. 

All organism is composed of cells.

Your body consists of trillions of cells of many different kinds.

In any multicellular organism, cells do not function alone. Cells that re similar in structure and
functions are usually linked together to form tissues.
 • Tissues are the second level of the biological
organization.
• For example, the cells in our bones form
bone tissues, a strong solid tissue that gives
us shape and support.
Tissues • The blood cells in our body are part of the
blood tissue, a fluid tissue responsible for
transporting food and oxygen throughout
our body.
• The tissues are further organized to form
organs. 
 • An organ is an anatomically distinct structure
which composed of two or more types of
tissues that work together.
• Our heart for example, is an organ that is made
up of muscle tissues and nerve tissues.

Organs •  You are probably familiar with the names of

several body organs. We have the brain, lungs,
stomach, kidneys and the skin. 
• Similar to cells and tissues, organs rarely work
by itself. Organs in a way “collaborate” with
other organs and perform a specific function.
These organs form an organ system. 
Organ system

We define organ system as a

The organ system is next
group of organs working
higher level of organization in
together to perform a specific
living things.
function for the organism. 
Organism

Yes, you are an organism. Dogs,

The best example of an organism is
cats and other animals around us
you.
are also organisms.

Organism is an individual living

Even single-celled bacterium is an thing that may be made up of one
organism. or more organ systems that carries
out all the basic life functions.
 Study the illustration
below. Cells, tissues,
organs, organ systems
and organisms
comprises the different
levels of biological
organization. 
Basic Levels
of Biological
Organization
There are also levels of biological
organization above the individual
organism.
The organisms of the same kind, we call it species
that live in the same area make up a population.

Like when individual person if a certain species of fish

lives in the same location or like milkfish or locally known
area, they make up the as “Bangus”, are living in the
human population of that same area, they comprise
area, and the milkfish population. 
 The community consists of different
The entire populations of organism living in the
array same area.
populations
For example, the Laguna Lake caters
that live in to different kinds of living things like
the same fishes, water plants and grasses.
location
make up a All of these organisms comprise the
community of living things in the
community. lake.
When the
community
interacts with its
physical
environment which • An ecosystem consists of all the living things
includes water, air, in a given area together with the nonliving
sunlight, soil, rock things. The Laguna Lake is an example of an
ecosystem
and minerals. This
brings us to the
next level of
organization called
ecosystem. 
A group of similar ecosystems with the same
type of physical environment is called a biome. 

Many different biomes consist our biosphere.

The biosphere is the part of our planet where all life exists including all of the
environments on Earth that support life. These include regions of land,
bodies of water and the lower portion of the atmosphere.
 • OR - Organism       C - Cell             
 T - Tissue              OS -Organ
Learning Task 1 : Study the System
given diagram. Complete it using
the different terms presented
inside the box. Use only the code    B – Biome                O – Organ       
given to each term. The first term  BS - Biosphere      P – Population
was done for you to serve as an
example. Copy the entire    CT – Community     E – Ecosystem
diagram and write your complete
answers in your answer sheet.
Learning Task 4: Challenge your understanding of the levels of biological organization specifically human body’s
organization. Complete the following analogies. Do this by matching the levels of organization of the human body –
CELL, TISSUE, ORGAN, ORGAN SYSTEM, ORGANISM (WHOLE BODY) to the appropriate part of the analogy.

Example: Your house 

                        Concrete cement/nails: CELL 
 Concrete Hollow Block/Wood panel: TISSUE
                                                       Walls: ORGAN 
                                                    Kitchen: ORGAN SYSTEM 
                                                      House: ORGANISM
1. Your school
2, Your municipality