Benchmark 5C The Living Environment: Cells

Benchmark 5C
The Living Environment: Cells
Grades 3-5, page 111

Microscopes make it possible to see that living things are made mostly of cells. Some organisms are made of a collection of similar cells that benefit from cooperating. Some organisms' cells vary greatly in appearance and perform very different roles in the organism.

NSES Content Standard C
Life Science: Structure and function in living systems
Grades 5-8, page 156
All organisms are composed of cells--the fundamental unit of life. Most organisms are single cells; other organisms, including humans, are multicellular.

NSES Content Standard C
Life Science: Structure and function in living systems
Grades 5-8, page 156
Specialized cells perform specialized functions in multicellular organisms. Groups of specialized cells cooperate to form a tissue, such as a muscle. Different tissues are in turn grouped together to form larger functional units, called organs. Each type of cell, tissue, and organ has a distinct structure and set of functions that serve the organism as a whole.