assimilation

Assimilation in biology is the formation of  self cellular material from small molecules derived from food and other sources. Products of assimilation are called the assimilates.

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.