Which of the following represents the correct hierarchical organization of life from the smallest to

Source: JAMB · 2023

Which of the following represents the correct hierarchical organization of life from the smallest to the largest scale?

  1. Cells, organs, tissues, organisms, populations, communities, ecosystems.
  2. Organs, tissues, cells, organisms, populations, communities, ecosystems.
  3. Cells, tissues, organs, organisms, populations, communities, ecosystems. ✓
  4. Tissues, organs, cells, organisms, populations, communities, ecosystems.
Explanation

Biology arranges living things in levels, from the smallest building block up to the biggest system. The smallest unit of life is the cell. Many cells of the same kind working together form a tissue. Different tissues joined together to do one job form an organ, like the heart or a leaf.

Organs work together as systems inside one complete living thing, the organism. All the organisms of the same species living in one place make a population. Different populations living together in the same area make a community. Add the non-living things around them (soil, water, air, sunlight) and you get an ecosystem.

So the correct order from smallest to largest is cells, tissues, organs, organisms, populations, communities, ecosystems. Any order that puts organs or tissues before cells is wrong, because a cell is smaller than a tissue and a tissue is smaller than an organ.

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