Final answer:
Ecological organization is structured as nested hierarchies from the smallest, an atom, to the largest, the biosphere. Each level is more complex and inclusive than the previous, encompassing atoms to organisms and ecosystems to the entire planet.
Step-by-step explanation:
The biological world is organized into nested ecological hierarchies, which help in understanding the complex interactions within the natural world. The levels of organization in increasing order of complexity are as follows: atom, molecule, organelle, cell, tissue, organ, organ system, organism, population, community, ecosystem, biome, and finally the biosphere.
Each level represents an increase in organizational complexity, with each step encompassing the previous level. For example, a water molecule consists of atoms, while a skin cell consists of many molecules and organelles. When we move up the levels, an organism like an elephant comprises many cells. Continuing up the hierarchy, a wolf pack would be considered a population, while a tropical rainforest is an ecosystem made up of many communities. Finally, at the largest scale, planet Earth represents the biosphere, which encompasses all levels of ecological organization.
- Oxygen atom
- Water molecule
- Skin cell
- Liver (an organ)
- Elephant (an organism)
- Wolf pack (a population)
- Tropical rainforest (an ecosystem)
- Planet Earth (the biosphere)