Final answer:
The correct term for the process that includes all steps of converting nutrients into living tissue is assimilation, including digestion and absorption of nutrients for tissue growth and repair.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term that defines all the steps involved in the conversion of nutrient material into living tissue is assimilation. Assimilation encompasses the various biological processes including digestion, absorption, and incorporation of nutrients from food into the cells of an organism, thus contributing to growth and repair of tissues.
Digestion breaks down complex food molecules into smaller absorbable units, a process that starts in the mouth and is completed in the small intestine. Absorption then allows these nutrients to pass through the intestinal wall into the bloodstream, which distributes them throughout the body for tissue synthesis and energy production.