Explain why the small intestine is considered an organ rather than a tissue.

Pearson Edexcel International GCSE Biology (4BI1) — 2.1 Levels of organisation · Explain · 4 marks · View as Markdown

Written & reviewed by James Millett — Biology (Imperial College London), PGCE Science (University of Cambridge).

The human digestive system contains many structures that carry out specific functions. One of these structures, the small intestine, is involved in both the digestion and absorption of food.

Model answer (4 marks)

A tissue is a group of cells with a similar structure and function.
An organ is an aggregation of tissues performing a specific function.
The small intestine contains more than one type of tissue, e.g. muscle tissue, epithelial tissue and nervous tissue.
These different tissues work together so the small intestine performs a specific function – digestion and absorption of food.

Examiner tips

  • Use the definition of tissue and organ from the mark scheme.
  • Mention at least two different tissue types present in the small intestine.
  • Explain how the tissues cooperate to carry out digestion and absorption.
  • Keep the answer concise and use the exact terminology.

Mark scheme (4 marks)

  1. A tissue is a group of cells with a similar structure and function
  2. An organ is an aggregation of tissues performing a specific function
  3. The small intestine contains more than one type of tissue, e.g. muscle tissue / epithelial tissue / nervous tissue
  4. These different tissues work together so the small intestine performs a specific function (digestion / absorption of food)

Key terms in this question

tissue · organ

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