Levels of Organization

Front

Cell Noun

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[sel]

Back

Cell

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The basic structural and functional unit of all known organisms, representing the smallest, most fundamental component of life.

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Example: The image shows a cell with labeled parts like the nucleus and mitochondrion, explaining the cell's structure and function.

Front

Tissue Noun

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[tish-oo]

Back

Tissue

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A group of similar cells that are organized to work together to perform a specific function in an organism.

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Example: Cardiac muscle tissue is made of cells that contract together to pump blood.

Front

Organ Noun

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[or-gun]

Back

Organ

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A structure composed of different types of tissues that work together to perform a specific, complex job for the body.

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Example: The heart is an organ made of tissues that pumps blood throughout the body.

Front

Organ System Noun

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[or-gun sis-tum]

Back

Organ System

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A group of different organs that work together to complete a series of related tasks for an organism's survival.

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Example: The image shows how the heart and blood vessels work together to circulate blood, illustrating an organ system.

Front

Organism Noun

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[or-guh-niz-um]

Back

Organism

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A complete and individual living being, which can be composed of a single cell or many complex organ systems.

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Example: An amoeba is a single-celled organism, showing that an organism can be just one cell.

Front

Unicellular Adjective

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[yoo-ni-sel-yuh-ler]

Back

Unicellular

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Describing a living organism that is made up of only one single cell which performs all life functions.

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Example: An amoeba is a unicellular organism that performs all life functions within one cell.

Front

Multicellular Adjective

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[mul-tee-sel-yuh-ler]

Back

Multicellular

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Describing a living organism that is composed of many different cells, which are often organized into tissues and organs.

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Example: The image shows muscle tissue made of many cells, demonstrating multicellularity.

Front

Cell Differentiation Noun

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[sel dif-uh-ren-shee-ey-shun]

Back

Cell Differentiation

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The process where generic cells become specialized to perform specific functions in a multicellular organism's body.

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Example: Generic cells become specialized, like muscle or skin cells, to perform specific functions.

Front

Stem Cell Noun

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[stem sel]

Back

Stem Cell

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An undifferentiated cell that has the unique ability to develop into various specialized cell types within an organism.

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Example: This diagram shows how a stem cell can become different types of cells like muscle or blood cells.

Front

Muscle Tissue Noun

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[muhs-uhl tish-oo]

Back

Muscle Tissue

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A type of animal tissue composed of cells that have the special ability to shorten or contract to produce movement.

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Example: The image shows heart muscle tissue with labeled parts like nucleus and muscle fiber, illustrating how muscle tissue contracts to produce movement.