Assimilation (biology)

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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.

Appearances in popular culture

• Biological assimilation is a popular trope of science fiction. For instance, John Carpenter's 1982 film The Thing features an alien lifeform that assimilates the DNA of living organisms, using it to disguise itself.
• The Tyranid superorganism, from the Warhammer 40,000 fictional universe, slowly conquers worlds and attempts to assimilate the genetic material of all life forms in the galaxy.

See also

• Anabolism
• Biochemistry

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