CBSE Class 11 » CBSE Class 11 Study Materials » Biology » Biological Assimilation

Biological Assimilation

A comprehensive study to understand the process of Biological Assimilation and its effects on human beings, animals and plants with its efficacy.

Biology has various studies about plants and animals and human beings. The syllabus of higher secondary classes greatly impacts the topic of Biological Assimilation and its relative processes. Understanding this topic will help the student to perceive clarity about the body’s functioning. The descriptive explanation for plants, animals and human beings makes the student comprehend the difference in the functioning of various species. 

Assimilation

Living beings and their body function consist of many studies about the various processes. One of the important processes in each living body of different habitats is Biological Assimilation. This process is a partial part of the digestion of food. Various species on earth depend on variable sources for their habitat. But the process of digestion, absorption and assimilation are the interconnecting procedure in any living being.

This process of assimilation connects with the absorption of various nutrients which the living being eats. This is the procedure to integrate the nutrient in the body which comes in the body by various external sources. This is a necessary procedure that complements the body’s energy requirement needed for various processes. These nutrients can be the chemical compounds, minerals and vitamins present in the body’s intestinal tract. 

Biological Assimilation supports many other procedures which are essentially going in the body. Photosynthesis, tissue formations, converting the magnesium salts and breakage and absorption of the nutrients are some of the processes that support this process.  The process of assimilation process biology always stabilizes the fixation of nitrogen needful for the healthy functioning of the body and growth.

Effects of assimilation:

The body structure of the living beings on the earth has a design where it accepts the beneficial items essential for their growth and health. The body rejects the non-healthy items and ejects them through the excretory system. After the food intake, various processes take the charge to move towards decanting the healthy nutrients from waste particles. 

Biological Assimilation helps here to break all the healthy compounds and add them to the bloodstream of the living beings. The healthy vitamins and minerals move towards the body with blood to help with basic growth and processes. The complete assimilation process and the whole existence of life are because of solar energy. Each body with life is dependent on solar power for energy directly or indirectly. There are two categories of surviving living beings:

  • Autotrophic organisms
  • Heterotrophic organisms

Some organisms can retain their food through sunlight, oxygen, air, carbon dioxide, etc. the Biological Assimilation in such organisms converts the oxides with the compounds like proteins, amino acids, and carbohydrates through the carbon fixation process. This process is the type of assimilation in autotrophic organisms.

The other types of organisms depend on external sources and are unable to produce their energy supplies. These external sources may be a plant, water, products from other living organisms, etc. The Biological Assimilation of the food products breaks down into glucose and amino acids. The glucose compounds help in the respiration process, while the amino acid acquires the responsibility of building the protein compound for better growth and development. 

The ammonia assimilation biology discussion in such types of organisms decodes many other procedures which are dependent on this type of assimilation. The process of dissimilation is also undergoing partial assimilation. The dissimilation process is the renewal of the breakable compound that is present in the body after assimilation. These two procedures are interdependent and perform continuously in a respective manner. This helps the body to gain the continuous gain of the healthy compound from the food they take. 

Types of Assimilation

There are different types of assimilation in different living beings which have categorizations by their lifestyle, habitat and body type. Here are the mentions:

  • Plant assimilation

Plants are autotrophic organisms and the basic source of energy for many living organisms on earth. For the growth of plants, they depend on external sources of water, soil and sunlight, which follows the assimilation process of biology. The chemical compound nitrogen is the basic source on which the growth and development of plants depend. The nitrogen reaches the plant through various fertilizers and their compounds present in the soil. 

Biological Assimilation collects the nitrogen compound from the soil and water. This nitrogen undergoes conversion into ammonium compounds. The ammonium compound then forms the nitrates, which the roots of the plant absorb thus, the cycle continues. Carbon fixation is also a process that runs continuously in the plant.

  • Invertebrate organisms

The invertebrates depend on the two basic pillars for their lives. These pillars are eating and digestion. Biological Assimilation becomes an easy process in them. This is because tapeworms help in the absorption of nutrients in a straight manner from the host. Due to the variable body formations, many invertebrates connect themselves with the host. They collect the food particles and nutrients through their sponges and corals. These organisms undergo assimilation depending on their host for their growth and development.

  • Human assimilation (digestion)

The process of Biological Assimilation in humans is a complex procedure where the food intake travels through many parts of the human body to perform the process. The bacteria particles have the destruction by the various acids present in the stomach. In the stomach, the large food particles undergo the breakdown into smaller ones for better digestion. They move to the small intestine for the assimilation prices and mix with various pancreatic and bile juices to transfer into the cells.

Conclusion

These are some of the important aspects of Biological Assimilation and its variable forms in different organisms.