BIOLOGY - science that deals with all forms

of life, including their classifications,

physiology, chemistry and interactions.

ECOLOGY - derived from the Greek oikos

meaning "household," and logos meaning

"study."

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE - scientific

discipline with ties to ecology, focuses on

how human interact with the environment.

BIOLOGICAL ORDER - a particular

pattern associated with living things

ORGANIZATION - a group of people

identified by a shared interest or

purpose.

Ecosystem XII

Community XI

Population X

_ _ _ _Organism IX _ _ _ _ _

Organ System VIII

Organs VII

Tissues VI

_ _ _ _Cells The Life Line V _ _ _ _ _

Organelles IV

Molecules III

Atom II

Subatomic Particles I

Figure 2.1 The Pyramid of Life: The 12 Levels of Biological

Organization

It is because life begins at a

certain level of the pyramid

(Level V) and then continues

upward through each of the

higher levels of biological

organization Levels VI – XII).

The Three Lowest Levels of the Pyramid

1. SUBTOMIC LEVEL – protons, neutrons,

electrons

2. ATOMS – carbon (C), oxygen (O), hydrogen

(H), and nitrogen (N)

3. MOLECULES

4. ORGANELLES- literally means “little organ”.

5. CELL – smallest unit of life

6. TISSUE - epithelial tissue, muscle tissue,

connective tissue, nervous tissue

7. ORGAN

8. ORGAN SYSTEM

9. ORGANISM

10. POPULATION

11.

12. ECOSYSTEM