Human A&PBIO 304 · American River College ← Week 1 pre-work

BIO 304 · Week 1 · Interactive Workbook

Levels of Organization

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Part 1 of 4 · Recall

Fill in the blanks

Type the term that completes each statement, using the word bank. Pull it from memory first.

Word bank

1 · Chemical2 · Cellular4 · Organ5 · Organ SystemEpithelialConnectiveNervousIntegumentaryMuscularNervousCardiovascularLymphaticDigestiveUrinary

  1. atoms bond to form molecules · water, glucose, DNA
  2. molecules organize into the smallest living unit · one neuron, one red blood cell
  3. two or more tissue types in one structure with a specific function · heart, kidney
  4. several organs working toward a shared function · cardiovascular, respiratory
  5. covers surfaces, lines cavities · skin, gut lining, glands
  6. supports, binds, transports · bone, blood, tendon, fat
  7. conducts electrical signals · brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves
  8. skin, hair, nails · barrier & surface sensation
  9. skeletal muscle, tendons · movement, posture, heat
  10. brain, spinal cord, nerves · rapid signaling & control
  11. heart, vessels, blood · delivery & pickup
  12. lymph vessels, nodes, spleen · fluid return & immune defense
  13. GI tract & accessory organs · break down food, absorb nutrients
  14. kidneys, ureters, bladder · filter blood, balance fluid & electrolytes

Define it: high-yield vocabulary

Write a clear definition in your own words for each term.

  1. Anatomy
  2. Physiology
  3. Chemical (atom) level
  4. Cell
  5. Tissue
  6. Organ
  7. Organ system
  8. Organism
  9. Metabolism
  10. Homeostasis

Part 2 of 4 · Anatomy lab

Draw and label

Box A. The six levels (abstract)

Directions

  1. Draw six nested or stacked boxes from smallest to largest.
  2. Label them in order: Chemical level (atoms, molecules), Cellular level (cells), Tissue level, Organ level, Organ system level, Organism level.
  3. Beside each level, write one to two specific structural examples (e.g., Chemical: water, glucose, protein).
  4. Draw an arrow up the stack labeled Emergent properties. Note: each level has properties not present at the level below.
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Your uploaded drawing for Box A. The six levels (abstract)

Box B. The six levels (worked example: skeletal muscle to movement)

Directions

  1. Use skeletal muscle as your example.
  2. Chemical level: draw an actin or myosin protein molecule. Label.
  3. Cellular level: draw a single skeletal muscle fiber (long, striated, multinucleate cell).
  4. Tissue level: draw a small bundle of muscle fibers wrapped together (skeletal muscle tissue).
  5. Organ level: draw a whole muscle (e.g., biceps brachii) with tendons.
  6. Organ system level: draw a simple stick figure with the musculoskeletal system highlighted (arrows to bones and muscles).
  7. Organism level: draw a person performing a movement (e.g., lifting a bag). Note: function emerges only at the organism level.
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Your uploaded drawing for Box B. The six levels (worked example: skeletal muscle to movement)

Structures to label

Label each on your drawing.

  1. Chemical level
  2. Cellular level
  3. Tissue level
  4. Organ level
  5. Organ system level
  6. Organism level
  7. Atom or molecule
  8. Cell
  9. Tissue
  10. Organ
  11. Organ system
  12. Organism
  13. Emergent property

Part 3 of 4 · Physiology lab

Reason it through

A. At which level does it happen?

1. An enzyme breaks a covalent bond.
2. A neuron fires an action potential.
3. A wound heals by laying down new collagen.
4. The heart pumps blood through the body.
5. Blood pressure is regulated by the cardiovascular, urinary, and nervous systems working together.
6. A person feels hungry and decides to eat lunch.

B. Synthesis

1. Explain what an emergent property is using one of your own examples. Why is the property not present at the level just below?
2. A drug poisons the mitochondria in every cell. Predict which higher levels of organization will be affected and in what order they will fail.
3. Pick one organ system. Argue, in two or three sentences, why no single cell or tissue could perform that system's function alone.

Submit

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