Assimilation (biology)

Assimilation (from similis, lat. = similar), in biology, designates the process of the transformation of external substances and materials into substances and materials internal to the body.

Examples of biological assimilation

• Photosynthesis, a process whereby carbon dioxide and water are transformed into a number of organic molecules in plant cells.
• Nitrogen fixation from the soil into organic molecules by symbiotic bacteria which live in the roots of certain plants, such as Leguminosae.
• The absorption of nutrients into the body after digestion in the intestine and its transformation in biological tissues and fluids.
• Assimilation is occurring in every cell of the body to help develop new cells.

See also

• Anabolism
• Biochemistry

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