Let's call the pyramid, "biological organization".

我們把這金字塔叫作 「生物組織」。

Let's work our way from very small and specific concepts

讓我們從小而明確的概念

to very large and complex topics.

一路談到大而複雜的主題。

So let's start at the tip of the pyramid,

從金字塔頂端開始，

with something so small, it can't be seen by the human eye,

那是一種小到肉眼沒辦看到的東西

a single cell.

──細胞（cell）。

A cell by itself is the most basic component of life.

細胞本身是生命最基本的組成元素。

A single cell, which is capable of living on its own,

單一細胞可以單獨存活，

is called a unicellular organism,

叫做單細胞生物，

organisms like bacteria or protists.

例如細菌或原生生物。

These organisms are everywhere you look,

這些生物遍佈四處，

you just can't see them.

只是你看不見。

But, when cells join together,

然而，當細胞聚集在一起，

with more than one cell like itself

有不只一個細胞

to perform a similar function,

在執行類似的功能，

it's no longer a unicellular organism.

那就不再叫做單細胞生物。

It's then called a tissue.

它叫做組織（tissue）。

No, not that kind of tissue.

不，不是在說紙巾（tissue）。

There are four types of tissues found in the human body:

人體中有四種組織：

connective,

結締組織、

muscle,

肌肉組織、

nervous,

神經組織、

and epithelial.

還有上皮組織。

Bone tissue is a type of connective tissue

骨骼組織是一種結締組織，

and it's not flimsy like a Kleenex at all.

它當然跟薄薄的舒潔紙巾不一樣。 （譯註：原文為 Kleenex，美國紙業廠牌。）

Blood is also an example

血液也是個

of the same cells working together to perform the same job,

一群細胞共同完成 同一件工作的例子，

but it's a liquid,

只不過它是液體。

again, not like a Kleenex at all.

同樣地，它也不是舒潔。

No matter what the consistency is,

不論它的稠密度如何，

a tissue is a group of the same cells,

組織就是指一群同類的細胞，

working together to perform a similar function.

它們共同執行類似的功能。

Any time there are different tissues working together,

而只要有不同的組織一起合作，

we then call it an organ.

我們就叫它器官。

That's the next level of the pyramid.

這是金字塔上的下一個層級。

Animals aren't the only ones with organs;

不只有動物有器官；

plants have organs too.

植物身上也有。

When we find multiple different organs

如果有許多器官

working together to perform the same job,

為同一個任務共同合作，

we then call it an organ system.

它就成了系統。

Take the digestive system, for example.

以消化系統為例：

It's made up of a mouth,

它由嘴巴、

esophagus,

食道、

stomach,

胃、

pancreas,

胰臟、

liver,

肝、

gall bladder,

膽囊、

small intestine,

小腸、

and large intestine,

還有大腸、

also known as your colon.

或者叫結腸。 （譯註：有些定義的大腸包含盲腸、結腸、和直腸。）

Although each individual organ in this organ system

雖然消化系統中的每一個器官

does a very different job,

都執行不同的工作，

together, these organs work to achieve the one goal

但合在一起，這些器官都是為了同一個目標

of taking all the nutrients out of the food we eat

──從我們吃的食物裡吸收養分、

and getting rid of what we don't need.

然後排除體內廢物。

An organ system, by definition,

依照定義，一個系統

can only do one job,

只會有一個工作目標，

like get the nutrients from our food,

比如說是從食物吸收養分、

send and receive electrical signals,

傳遞接收電流訊號、

or exchange oxygen for carbon dioxide.

或是交換氧氣和二氧化碳。

Regardless of their individual function,

儘管各個系統功能不同，

all organ systems rely on one another

但它們彼此互相依賴以維持生命

to do the vital jobs which they can't do themselves.

它們無法只靠自己。

If one organ system doesn't work,

如果一個系統失效了，

the others will shut down, too.

其他的系統也會跟著無法運作。

An organism is a complicated, living thing,

生命體是指 一個複雜的、有生命的個體，

which requires the proper functioning

它依賴各個系統的

of multiple organ systems to maintain stability.

不同功能 來維持一種穩定的狀態。

This stability is called homeostasis.

這穩定的狀態稱為 體內平衡（homeostasis）。

When all organ systems are working together

當所有系統相互合作

and maintaining homeostasis,

維持體內平衡，

then it results in a happy, living organism.

那這就會是個快樂的、存活的生命體。

Organisms are incredibly diverse

有各式各樣的生命體，

and can be as simple as a bacteria

它可以像細菌那樣簡單，

or as complex as you.

也可以跟你一樣複雜。

When a group of the same organisms,

當一群同樣的、

also known as a species,

或說是同種的生命體

live together in the same environment,

共同存活在同一個環境裡，

we then call it a population.

我們稱之為族群。

Often there are several populations

往往有許多族群

all living in one environment.

生活在同一個環境裡。

That is what we call a community.

這就是我們說的群落。

Each time you look out the window,

當你看著窗外時，

you're seeing a community.

你就會看到一個群落。

When we look at multiple communities,

當我們看到許多不同群落

along with how all of the organisms

還有所有生命體

interact with the physical environment,

和外在環境互動時，

then we refer to it as an ecosystem.

我們就把它叫作生態系統。

When you look at all the ecosystems of Earth together,

而地球上所有生態系統結合在一起

you're looking at

我們就能看見

the Earth.

整個地球。

The Earth is a big, round circle of life.

地球是一個巨大、充滿生物的球體

That's why we call it a biosphere -

這也是為什麼我們把它稱作 生物圈（biosphere）：

bio, meaning life

bio 指的是生命

and sphere, meaning circle.

而 sphere 指的就是圓圈。

And there you go!

事情就是這樣！

When you break it down to each level,

當你把它分成各個層級，

a very complex concept and phrase

複雜的觀念和名詞

becomes easy to understand.

就會變得簡單易懂。

All life starts with a single cell.

所有生命源自於細胞。

When cells join together,

當細胞聚在一起

they are called a tissue.

就成了組織。

A group of different tissues are called an organ,

一群不一樣的組織組成器官，

and a group of different organs are an organ system.

而一群不一樣的器官組成系統。

A group of organ systems working together

當系統一起運作時

make up an organism,

就成了生命體，

and a group of the same organisms are a population.

而一群同種生命體叫作族群。

Combining several different populations together

把許多不同族群合在一起

give us a community.

會得到群落。

And several different communities in a large area

一個大區域裡的眾多群落

is an ecosystem.

稱為生態系統。

And every ecosystem together

而每一個生態系共同組成了

makes up our biosphere.

我們的生命圈。

And that, my friends, is biological organization,

而我的朋友，這就是生物組織

the pyramid of life.

──生命的金字塔。