Levels of organization of life

The living nature is an integral, but completely heterogeneous system for which an organization with a clear hierarchy is intrinsic. It is this property that reflects the so-called levels of organization of life. In such a system, all parts are clearly located, starting from the lowest order to the highest.

Levels of organization of life - a hierarchical system with subordinate orders, which reflects not only the nature of biosystems, but also their gradual complexity in relation to each other. To date, it is common to single out eight basic levels

In addition, the following systems of organization are distinguished:

1. A microsystem is a kind of preorganizminal stage, which includes molecular and subcellular levels.

2. Mesosystem is the next, organismic stage. This includes cellular, tissue, organ, systemic and organismic levels of organization of life.

There are also macrosystems, which are a superorganismic set of levels.

It is also worth noting that each level has its own characteristics, which will be discussed below.

Preorganized levels of organization of life

Here it is common to distinguish two main steps:

1. Molecular level of organization of life - represents the level of work and organization of biological macromolecules, including proteins, nucleic acids, lipids and polysaccharides. It is here that the most important vital processes of any organism begin - cellular respiration, energy conversion, and the transfer of genetic information.

2. Subcellular level - this can be attributed to the organization of cellular organelles, each of which plays an important role in the existence of the cell.

Organism levels of organization of life

This group includes those systems that provide a holistic work of the whole organism. It is customary to highlight the following:

1. Cellular level of organization of life . It is not a secret for anybody that it is the cell that is the structural unit of any living organism. This level is studied using cytological, cytochemical, cytogenetic and microbiological methods of investigation.

2. Tissue level . Here, the main attention should be paid to the structure, features and functioning of various tissues, of which, in fact, organs are composed. Researches of these structures are engaged in histology and histochemistry.

3. Organic level . Multicellular organisms are characterized by a new level of organization. Here some groups of tissues are combined, forming an integral structure with specific functions. Each organ is part of a living organism, but can not exist independently outside of it. This level is studied by such sciences as physiology, anatomy and, to some extent, embryology.

Organism level is both unicellular and multicellular organisms. After all, every organism is an integral system, within which all processes important for life activity are realized. In addition, the processes of fertilization, development and growth, as well as the aging of an individual organism, are taken into account. The study of this level deals with such sciences as physiology, embryology, genetics, anatomy, paleontology.

Nadorganizmennye levels of organization of life

Here we take into account not the organisms and their structural parts, but a certain set of living beings.

1. Population-species level . The basic unit here is a population - a collection of organisms of a certain species that inhabits a clearly limited territory. All individuals are capable of free crossing with each other. In the study of this level I participate in such sciences as systematics, ecology, genetics of populations, biogeography, taxonomy.

2. Ecosystem level - here we take into account a stable community of different populations whose existence is closely related to each other and depends on inanimate nature, climatic conditions, etc. In the main, the study of this level of organization is concerned with ecology

3. The biosphere level is the highest form of organization of life, which is a global complex of biogeocenoses of the whole planet.