Levels of Organization in the Human Body
Homeostasis: The process by which the body’s internal environment is kept stable in spite of changes in the external environment.
Levels of Organization Specialized Cells Tissues Organs Organ Systems Organism
Specialized Cells: Your body is made up of many different specialized cells that carry out very specific functions.
absorbing cells Cells that line the small intestine and absorb food energy as it is digested by the digestive system. These cells allow the digested food energy to get into the blood stream so the body can use the energy to carry out its necessary functions.
Assembly cells Cells that produce specialized products such as enzymes, hormones, proteins, and many more substances for use by the body.
Cells for Movement – Muscle cells are the only cells that are capable of contracting (shortening). Muscle cell are responsible for every movement that your body carries out.
Tissues: Tissues are groups of specialized cells that perform a common function. There are four basic types of tissue: muscle connective nerve epithelial
Muscle tissue: There are 3 types of muscle tissue, each with its own function and structure. It is responsible for all of the body’s movements. Connective tissue: The tissue that provides support for your body and holds it together. There are many types of connective tissue (bone, blood, fat, etc.) Nerve tissue: Carries the electrical messages from your brain to the rest of the body and from the body back to the brain. Nerve tissue is what carries all of the messages to the rest of your body. Epithelial Tissue: Skin mostly, but it lines most organs and body openings
Organs Just as tissues are a group of specialized cells working together, organs are just groups of tissues working together to perform a common task. (Ex. Heart, Brain, Liver, Stomach,..etc). The heart is made mostly of muscle tissue, but it also has nerve tissue, epithelial tissue and connective tissue.
Organ Systems A collection of organs that work together to perform jobs or tasks that they would be unable to perform themselves. The body is made up of many Organ Systems that all have to work together to keep us alive and healthy. The skeletal system could not move without the muscular system, and the muscular system could not move if it did not get energy from the digestive system, that is delivered by the circulatory system.
Organism The living thing that is made up of the above four levels.
Organism