Lacteals are specialized lymphatic capillaries found in the small intestine that

Question

Lacteals are specialized lymphatic capillaries found in the small intestine that have the special function of absorbing dietary fats. Other nutrients that are absorbed by the digestive tract are absorbed into blood capillaries, not lymphatic capillaries. Because the absorbed fats are relatively large structures, they must be absorbed into the lymphatic system instead of being absorbed directly into the blood vascular system. Using your knowledge of the flow of both lymph and blood in the body, describe the route a dietary lipid would take to get from its location of absorption in the small intestine to its entry into the right atrium of the heart.

Explanation / Answer

The digestion and absorption of lipids is completed by the ileum. The nutrients absorbed by the intestine generally enter into either the

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