Microorganisms and the mechanical components of the cell motility machinery such as cilia and flagella operate in low Reynolds number conditions where hydrodynamics is dominated by viscous forces. The medium thus induces a long-ranged hydrodynamic interaction between these active objects, which could lead to synchronization, coordination and other emergent many-body behaviors. In my talk, I will examine these effects using minimal models that are simple enough to allow extensive analysis that sheds light on the underlying mechanisms for the emergent phenomena.