A 'lacteal' is a
lymphatic capillary that absorbs dietary fats in the villi of the
small intestine.
The combination of fat and lymph in the lacteals is milky in appearance and called
chyle. Individual lacteals merge to form larger lymphatic vessels that transport the fats to the
thoracic duct which empties into the left
subclavian vein.
At this point, the fats are in the bloodstream. They can be converted to
lipoproteins (HDL, LDL or VLDL) in the
liver or be transported to tissues throughout the body and stored in
adipose cells as
triglycerides.
See also
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Villus
A lacteal is a lymphatic capillary that absorbs dietary fats in the villi of the small intestine.
The combination of fat and lymph in the lacteals is milky in appearance and called chyle. Individual lacteals merge to form larger lymphatic vessels that transport the fats to the thoracic duct which empties into the left subclavian vein.
At this point, the fats are in the bloodstream. They can be converted to lipoproteins (HDL, LDL or VLDL) in the liver or be transported to tissues throughout the body and stored in adipose cells as triglycerides.
External links
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★ - "117. Digestive System: Alimentary Canal jejunum, central lacteals "
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Diagram at ohio-state.edu