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Definition

noun

(1) The act or process of assimilating; the state of being assimilated.

(2) The conversion of nutriment into a useable form (e.g. liquid or solid) that is incorporated into the tissues and organs following the processes of digestion.

(3) The chemical alteration of substances in the bloodstream by the liver or cellular secretions.

(4) (botany) The processes of photosynthesis and the absorption of raw materials by which plants derive their nutrition.

Supplement

Examples of assimilation are photosynthesis, nitrogen fixation, and the absorption of nutrients after digestion into the living tissue.

Word origin: from Latin assimilatio (to render similar)
Related forms: assimilate (verb)

Related terms:

• ammonia assimilation
• assimilation pelvis