Final answer:
The level of organization just below organs in complexity is tissues, which consist of similar cells working together. In the biological hierarchy, tissues are followed by organ systems and then the organism.
Step-by-step explanation:
When listing the levels of organization in organisms from the smallest to the most complex, the level just below organs in complexity is tissues. Tissues are groups of similar cells that work together to perform a specific function. Below tissues would be cells, and at an even more fundamental level, organelles within those cells. Conversely, when looking at broader levels of organization, organs come together to form organ systems, which in turn work collectively to create an entire organism.
To answer the student's second part of the question and place the given items in order from the smallest level of organization to the most encompassing, here is a suggested diagram:
- Oxygen atom
- Water molecule
- Skin cell (contains organelles)
- Liver (an organ composed of tissues)
- Elephant (an organism)
- Wolf pack (a population)
- Tropical rainforest (an ecosystem)
- Planet Earth (part of the biosphere)
This hierarchy is justified by the biological levels of organization, where each higher level is composed of the elements of the previous level, leading to an increase in complexity.