Assimilation (biology)

Assimilation is when your body breaks down food into tiny pieces, called nutrients, and uses them to build its own body parts. Let's imagine you are eating a sandwich with bread, meat, cheese and lettuce. Your body needs nutrients from all of those ingredients to grow strong and healthy.

First, the bread in the sandwich contains carbohydrates, which are like tiny energy packets that help give you energy. Your body breaks down the bread into tiny pieces and absorbs it into your bloodstream. The meat and cheese contain protein, which help your body build and repair muscles, skin and other body tissues. Your body also breaks down the protein into tiny pieces and absorbs it into your bloodstream.

Lastly, the lettuce is full of vitamins and minerals that help keep your body working properly. Your body takes those vitamins and minerals and uses them to perform important functions, like keeping your eyes healthy or helping your heart beat.

So, assimilation is the process of breaking down food into tiny pieces and using those nutrients to build and maintain your body. It's like your body is a builder, and the food you eat is the raw material it uses to build and fix things.