Assimilation (biology)
Encyclopedia
Biological assimilation, or bio assimilation, is the combination of two processes to supply animal cells with nutrients. The first is the process of absorbing vitamins, minerals, and other chemicals from food within the gastrointestinal tract
. In humans this is done with a chemical breakdown (enzymes and acids) and physical breakdown (oral mastication
and stomach churning.) The second process of bio assimilation is the chemical alteration of substances in the bloodstream by the liver or cellular secretions. Although a few similar compounds can be absorbed in digestion bio assimilation, the bioavailability
of many compounds is dictated by this second process since both the liver and cellular secretions can be very specific in their metabolic action (see chirality
.) This second process is where the absorbed food reaches the cells via the liver.
Most foods are composed of largely indigestible components depending on the enzymes and effectiveness of an animal's digestive tract. The most well known of these indigestible compounds is cellulose; the basic chemical polymer
in the makeup of plant cell walls. Most animals, however, do not produce cellulase; the enzyme needed to digest cellulose. However some animal species have developed symbiotic relationships with cellulase producing bacteria (see termites and metamonad
s.) This allows termites to use the energy dense cellulose carbohydrate. Other such enzymes are known to significantly improve bioassimilation of nutrients. Because of the use of bacterial derivatives enzymatic dietary supplements now contain such enzymes as Amylase, Glucoamylase, Protease, Invertase, Peptidase, Lipase, Lactase, Phytase, and Cellulase. These enzymes improve the overall bioassimilation in the digestive tract but are still not proven to increase bloodstream bioavailability.
Basically the enzymes and other breakdowns make the bigger substances of food smaller so they can go through the rest of their digestion more easily.
Gastrointestinal tract
The human gastrointestinal tract refers to the stomach and intestine, and sometimes to all the structures from the mouth to the anus. ....
. In humans this is done with a chemical breakdown (enzymes and acids) and physical breakdown (oral mastication
Mastication
Mastication or chewing is the process by which food is crushed and ground by teeth. It is the first step of digestion and it increases the surface area of foods to allow more efficient break down by enzymes. During the mastication process, the food is positioned between the teeth for grinding by...
and stomach churning.) The second process of bio assimilation is the chemical alteration of substances in the bloodstream by the liver or cellular secretions. Although a few similar compounds can be absorbed in digestion bio assimilation, the bioavailability
Bioavailability
In pharmacology, bioavailability is a subcategory of absorption and is used to describe the fraction of an administered dose of unchanged drug that reaches the systemic circulation, one of the principal pharmacokinetic properties of drugs. By definition, when a medication is administered...
of many compounds is dictated by this second process since both the liver and cellular secretions can be very specific in their metabolic action (see chirality
Chirality (chemistry)
A chiral molecule is a type of molecule that lacks an internal plane of symmetry and thus has a non-superimposable mirror image. The feature that is most often the cause of chirality in molecules is the presence of an asymmetric carbon atom....
.) This second process is where the absorbed food reaches the cells via the liver.
Most foods are composed of largely indigestible components depending on the enzymes and effectiveness of an animal's digestive tract. The most well known of these indigestible compounds is cellulose; the basic chemical polymer
Polymer
A polymer is a large molecule composed of repeating structural units. These subunits are typically connected by covalent chemical bonds...
in the makeup of plant cell walls. Most animals, however, do not produce cellulase; the enzyme needed to digest cellulose. However some animal species have developed symbiotic relationships with cellulase producing bacteria (see termites and metamonad
Metamonad
The metamonads are a large group of flagellate protozoa. Their composition is not entirely settled, but they include the retortamonads, diplomonads, and possibly the parabasalids and oxymonads as well...
s.) This allows termites to use the energy dense cellulose carbohydrate. Other such enzymes are known to significantly improve bioassimilation of nutrients. Because of the use of bacterial derivatives enzymatic dietary supplements now contain such enzymes as Amylase, Glucoamylase, Protease, Invertase, Peptidase, Lipase, Lactase, Phytase, and Cellulase. These enzymes improve the overall bioassimilation in the digestive tract but are still not proven to increase bloodstream bioavailability.
Basically the enzymes and other breakdowns make the bigger substances of food smaller so they can go through the rest of their digestion more easily.
Examples of biological assimilation
- PhotosynthesisPhotosynthesisPhotosynthesis is a chemical process that converts carbon dioxide into organic compounds, especially sugars, using the energy from sunlight. Photosynthesis occurs in plants, algae, and many species of bacteria, but not in archaea. Photosynthetic organisms are called photoautotrophs, since they can...
, a process whereby carbon dioxideCarbon dioxideCarbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
and waterWaterWater is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
are transformed into a number of organic molecules in plantPlantPlants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
cellsCell (biology)The cell is the basic structural and functional unit of all known living organisms. It is the smallest unit of life that is classified as a living thing, and is often called the building block of life. The Alberts text discusses how the "cellular building blocks" move to shape developing embryos....
. - Nitrogen fixationNitrogen fixationNitrogen fixation is the natural process, either biological or abiotic, by which nitrogen in the atmosphere is converted into ammonia . This process is essential for life because fixed nitrogen is required to biosynthesize the basic building blocks of life, e.g., nucleotides for DNA and RNA and...
from the soil into organic molecules by symbioticSymbiosisSymbiosis is close and often long-term interaction between different biological species. In 1877 Bennett used the word symbiosis to describe the mutualistic relationship in lichens...
bacteriaBacteriaBacteria are a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals...
which live in the rootRootIn vascular plants, the root is the organ of a plant that typically lies below the surface of the soil. This is not always the case, however, since a root can also be aerial or aerating . Furthermore, a stem normally occurring below ground is not exceptional either...
s of certain plants, such as Leguminosae. - Magnesium supplements orotate, oxide, sulfate, citrate, and glycerate are all structurally similar. However, oxide and sulfate are not water soluble and do not enter the blood stream while orotate and glycerate have normal exiguous liver conversion. Chlorophyll sources or magnesium citrate are highly bioassimilable.
- The absorption of nutrientNutrientA nutrient is a chemical that an organism needs to live and grow or a substance used in an organism's metabolism which must be taken in from its environment. They are used to build and repair tissues, regulate body processes and are converted to and used as energy...
s into the body after digestionDigestionDigestion is the mechanical and chemical breakdown of food into smaller components that are more easily absorbed into a blood stream, for instance. Digestion is a form of catabolism: a breakdown of large food molecules to smaller ones....
in the intestineIntestineIn human anatomy, the intestine is the segment of the alimentary canal extending from the pyloric sphincter of the stomach to the anus and, in humans and other mammals, consists of two segments, the small intestine and the large intestine...
and its transformation in biological tissueBiological tissueTissue is a cellular organizational level intermediate between cells and a complete organism. A tissue is an ensemble of cells, not necessarily identical, but from the same origin, that together carry out a specific function. These are called tissues because of their identical functioning...
s and fluidFluidIn physics, a fluid is a substance that continually deforms under an applied shear stress. Fluids are a subset of the phases of matter and include liquids, gases, plasmas and, to some extent, plastic solids....
s. - Assimilation is occurring in every cell of the body to help develop new cells.