• Levels of Biological Organization

As you have studied, cell is the basic structural unit of life. It means that life is composed of
cells. Without cells, life will not be possible. Our body is made up of cells which means that we are
living things. This is also a manifestation that living organisms are made up of organs. These organs are
made of cells. Living things include both animals and plants.
Animals and plants are living things. They have organ systems made up of organs,
organs that are made up of tissues and tissues that are made up of cells.
Heart, veins and arteries are organs of the circulatory system. Mouth, esophagus,
intestine are organs of the digestive system. Kidneys are organs of the excretory system. These
organ systems are all made up of a group of organs of the body. Each system has different
functions from one another. The circulatory system is for the transport of nutrients, digestive
system for the breakdown of food and kidney for eliminating metabolic wastes. These organ
systems work together for a common goal. If one system fails, other systems will also be
affected.
Each organ is made up of tissues. Tissues are bonded together to make an organ.
These tissues are also composed of cell-the basic structural unit of life. The cells, organs,
and organ systems make up an organism.
Plants are also made of cells, tissues and organs that carry out specific functions. They
have organs for reproduction like the flower, organs for respiration like leaves and organs
for transport of nutrients and organs for respiration like leaves. These organs are working
together. Just like animals, if one part is damaged most of its organs will no longer perform
its function.
Organs are not only found in animals but also in plants. They must be taken good care
of because if one is damaged, the rest of the body parts will also be infected and the whole
population will get affected. These two different organisms make an essential part in building
a strong community that leads to a productive ecosystem and health biosphere for all.
The biological organization does not stop with the organism, as an organism interacts
with the environment in many ways. Beyond the organism, the levels of organization are
population, community, ecosystem and biosphere
Population is a group of individuals belonging to the same species and living in a
particular geographical area. An example is all the mahogany trees in a particular forest.
Community consists of all the populations of different species that inhabit a
particular area. For example, all the plant and animal species in the forest constitute a
community.

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 Ecosystem includes all the life forms existing in a certain area and all the nonliving
factors as well. The nonliving or abiotic factors include water, gases, minerals, nutrients and
other chemicals. The organisms making up the community of species are called the biotic
factors.
The biosphere is the total of all the Earth’s ecosystems. The biosphere includes the atmosphere
to an altitude of several kilometers, the land down to about 1500 meters deep, bodies of water
and oceans to a depth of several kilometers.

• Animal Cell
Living organisms are diverse in form and structure. As you have observed around you,
there are various kinds of organisms: big and small, tall and short, two- legged and four-
legged and many others. Have you ever wondered what made them the way they are? This
lesson will bring you to the world of tiny machines in living organisms – the cells. We have
two types of multicellular organisms and for this lesson we will enter the cellular level of the
animal kingdom.

THE CELL STORY

The history of the cell started with the invention of the microscope in the 1600s. Due to
the limitations of the human eye, scientists during this period concentrated on developing tools
to examine very small objects. Anton van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723), a Dutch naturalist and
craftsman, is known to have made over 500 microscopes throughout his lifetime.
His invention of the microscope paved the way for other scientist to study small
organisms and or structures in their respective field.
However, the term cell was first introduced in 1665 by Robert Hooke, an English
physicist. Examining thin slice of cork from the bark of an oak tree with a crude compound
microscope, Hooke observed empty, honeycomb-like boxes which he called cells because
they resemble the box-like rooms of monks in monasteries.
What he actually observed, though he was not aware of it, was the outermost covering of
plant cells now called cell wall.

There are two types of multicellular organism (contains 2 or more cell in its body):
Animal Cell and Plant Cell. We humans have the animal cell.

The table below summarizes the function of the major parts of the animal cell.

MAJOR PART FUNCTION

▪ It is the outermost layer in the animal cell.
▪ It keeps all the parts of the cell inside.
▪ It controls what enters and exits the cell such as
water, nutrients and waste and thereby protects and
supports the cell.
▪ It is large and fluid-filled (called protoplasm)
▪ It fills up the space between the nucleus and the cell
membrane.
▪ It is jelly-like substance compose of mainly water as
well as dissolved nutrients
▪ It is where membrane-bound organelles are embedded.

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 ▪ It is located in the cytoplasm of the cell.
▪ It controls and regulates all cell activities.
▪ It is the control center of the cell and it contains
the cell’s DNA.

Figure 1 The Egg-Cell

Organelles are small structures inside the cell that carry specific function. They are
membrane-bound and are embedded in the fluid-like substance located in the cell’s cytop

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Below is the animal cell diagram with the embedded organelles.

Figure 2. The Animal Cell

The organelles embedded in the cytoplasm of both animal and plants cells are almost the same
but there are few distinct organelles that are unique in both of them.

Organelles Found Only in an Animal Cells

These organelles are found in animal cells but are not present in plant cells.

1. Centrosomes
It is a microtubule-organizing center found near the nuclei of animal cells. It contains
a pair of centrioles. The centrosome replicates itself before a cell divides.

2. Lysosome
These are small, spherical organelles that contain digestive enzymes for proteins, fats,
and carbohydrates. They transport undigested material to cell membrane for removal. Cell
breaks down if lysosome explodes.

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 Organelles Found Only in Plant Cells

1. Chloroplasts
The chloroplasts contain the chlorophyl which capture light energy that drives the process
photosynthesis

Organelles Found in Both Animal and Plant Cell

1. Endoplasmic reticulum
It is referred to as the “highway” of the cell that moves materials around to other
parts. It serves as canal for substances. Its two kinds are:
a. smooth: without attached ribosomes
b. rough: with attached ribosomes

2. Golgi bodies
It is a set of flattened sacs that serves as the packaging and distribution center of the
cell. It packages, stores, and secretes energy.
3. Mitochondria
It breaks down food and release energy to cell - the “Powerhouse” of the cell. It also
produces energy through chemical reactions – breaking down fats and carbohydrates. It is
most common in animals although present in plants in few numbers. The mitochondria
produce ATP (adenosine triphosphate). The inner membrane is folded into cristae to increase
surface area.
It has double membrane:
a. Cristae -inner folds
b. Matrix -fluid part
4. Ribosomes
Each cell contains thousands of ribosomes. They can either attach to the endoplasmic
reticulum or free. It is made up of RNA and other protein. It main function is for synthesizing
proteins.
5. Vesicles
They carry materials in and out of the cell. These include food particles needed by the
cell and waste products secreted by the cell.
6. Peroxisomes
They absorb nutrients that cell has acquired. They digest fatty acids and play a role in
the digestion of alcohol, cholesterol synthesis and digestion of amino acids.
7. Chromosomes
Located in the nucleus and is made up of DNA. Contain instructions for traits &
characteristics.
8. Nucleolus
It is located inside the nucleus and contains RNA to build protein. It is surrounded by
a fluid called nucleoplasm.
9. Vacuole
The vacuole stores food or nutrients a cell might need to survive. They may also store
waste products, so the rest of the cell is protected from contamination. In plants, the central
vacuole regulates the plant cell’s concentration of water in changing environmental conditions

• Plant Cell

Animals and plants are direct complementary to each other. We take in oxygen as a
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 product of plants’ transpiration and they take in carbon dioxide as by-product of our
respiration. If us humans have the animal cell, what about the plants around us? Do they also
have cells? How do their cells look like? Are there any similarities or differences between
the two?
Plants play an important role in the sustainability of our ecosystem. Plants that produce
grains, fruits and edible leaves and parts are our basic food; we use some of them for
medicinal and aesthetic purposes. Plants are mainly multicellular (many-celled). They belong
to Kingdom Plantae and are predominantly photosynthetic (they can make their own food).
Therefore, we must study plants at the cellular level.
It is indeed very natural that in our daily life we can encounter a certain kind of plant, whether it’s a flower
for your altar at home, eggplant for your breakfast or a cactus for your table top. What do you think will
happen if plants will perish or be extinct? Read the poem below as introduction to our lesson on the plant
cell.

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 The table below summarizes the function of the major parts of a plant cell.

MAJOR PART FUNCTION

▪ Found in plant cells but not in animal cells.

▪ The outermost layer in the plant cell.
▪ It is stiff and rigid and helps a plant keep its shape.
▪ Allow materials like water and nutrients; waste,
oxygen and carbon dioxide to pass to and from the
cell membrane.

▪ It is the second layer in the plant cell.

▪ It keeps all the parts of the cell inside.
▪ It is semi-permeable and controls what enters and
exits the cell such as water, nutrients and waste and
thereby protects and supports the cell.

▪ It is only found in plant cells. They are responsible

for photosynthesis.
▪ It is color green because of the pigment called
chlorophyll.
▪ Every green plant you see is working to convert the
energy from the sun into sugars during the process of
photosynthesis.
▪ Plants are the basis of all life on Earth. They make
sugars, and the by-product of photosynthesis is the
oxygen that we breathe.

▪ It is large and fluid-filled (called protoplasm)

▪ It fills up the space between the nucleus and the cell
membrane.
▪ It is jelly-like substance compose of mainly water as
well as dissolved nutrients
▪ It is where membrane-bound organelles are embedded.

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 ▪ It is located in the cytoplasm of the cell.
▪ It controls and regulates all cell activities.
▪ It is the control center of the cell and it contains
the cell’s DNA.

Trivia time!

There are about 320,000 species of plants on Earth. Most of the species are
located in tropical rainforest like our country, the Philippines. Aren’t we lucky?
Below is the plant cell diagram with the embedded organelles

Figure 2 Plant Cell

The organelles embedded in the cytoplasm of both plants and animal cells are almost the same
but there are few distinct organelles that are unique and is only found in plant cell.

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 Plant cell organelles (Only found in plant cells)
1. Plastids
These are double-membraned organelles found mainly in plants.
Types:
a. Chloroplasts: it contains the green pigment chlorophyll which enables the plants to
undergo the process of photosynthesis.
b. Chromoplasts: gives yellow, orange and red color to fruits and flowers.
c. Leucoplasts: are non-pigmented, located in roots, it stores carbohydrates, proteins and
fats.
2. Vacuoles
It stores food, enzymes, and other materials needed by the cell. Some vacuoles store
waste products. Plant cells contain large vacuoles, called central vacuoles that contain
liquid called cell sap. The cell sap is made up of water, dissolved sugars, mineral salts and
amino acids.

Remember: The organelles that can be found in both plant and animals cells are already
presented in lesson 1.

• Cell Discovery and Theory

In the previous topic you were able to describe the different levels of structural
organization making up an organism. With that, you learned that each organism started from
the very basic level known as the Cell. It can be noted that when cells are grouped together
they form tissues. The tissues in turn will form the organs and further form the organ systems
in a body. Hence, when organ systems interconnect with each other, they compose the
organism.
In a biosphere, organisms interact with their environment. This can determine their
survival, growth, development and mortality rate

The Timeline of Cell Discovery

1665 Robert Hooke was the first person who used the term cells to refer to
the tiny structures found in organisms. He observed a piece of cork with
the use of a microscope which he himself had made. There he observed
boxlike compartments in the cork. Hooke thought they looked like the
small rooms or cells of old monasteries. He then called these structures
in cork as cells. What Hooke really saw were the outer boundaries of the
cells. They looked like empty boxes because the cells were dead. He did
not study further on the cell content.
1674 Anton Van Leeuwenhoek who was a Dutch lens maker, was credited with
making the first microscope. He was the first person to have observed
microscopic organisms. He discovered protozoa and saw
bacteria some 9 years later.
1838 Mathias J. Schleiden was the German botanist who worked on various
plants. He concluded that all plants are composed of cells.
1839 Theodor Schwann was a German zoologist (someone who studies
various animals). He theorized that all animals are composed of cells.

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 1858 Rudolf Virchow who was a German physician, discovered that cells
increased in number by dividing and forming new cells. He expounded
his famous conclusion: omni cellula e cellula which means cells come
from pre-existing cells.

THE CELL THEORY SUMMARY

-All living things are composed of cells.

-Cells are the basic units of structure and function in living
things.
-All cells come from pre-existing cells.

Cells are considered as the basic structural and functional units of life. Why? Definitely
because cells are the building blocks of organisms. Life processes happen in cells. All
organisms are composed of cells. Without cells there would be no life forms in this planet.
The number of cells vary depending on the size of an organism. As you have learned from
your previous module, life begins with a cell. The larger the body of an organism, the
greater number of cells are present. Likewise, the smaller the body of an organism, the least
number of cells are expected. The number of cells in elephants is a hundred times more
than that of humans.

There are multicellular and unicellular organisms. Organisms with only one cell are
unicellular such as paramecium, euglena and coccus. Organisms with millions of cells are
multicellular like animals, plants, fungi and protists. Cells are basically composed of water,
proteins, RNA, DNA and several organelles (different structures in a cell). Water is
considered as the largest component

ACTIVITY NO. 1

1. In a Long sized bond paper, Complete the diagram below

Use colored paper as your cover, use the assigned color to your class.

Directions: Complete the diagram by supplying the boxes left blank with correct
word, statement, phrase and name of a person to complete the idea. Do it on a activity
sheet provided.

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 1.

consist of a single cell

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ACTIVITY NO. 2

1. In a Long-sized bond paper, Draw the animal and plant cell, and label its organelle.
Use colored paper as your cover, use the assigned color to your class.
2. Enumerate the different level of biological organization.
3. Differentiate Unicellular from multicellular

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