Question

Lacteals take part in
(A) Digestion of milk
(B) Absorption of fat
(C) Digestion of lactic acid
(D) None of the above

Answer 1

Hint: Lacteals are the capillaries and are components in the lymphatic system. These are present in the villi of the small intestine. Their main function is to absorb the dietary fats that are present in the digested food that comes to the small intestine.

Complete answer:
The lacteals are similar to the blood capillaries but the diameter of the lacteals is larger when compared to the blood capillaries. Hence, they are capable of absorbing the fat molecules and convert it in the way that fat molecules can move through the small blood capillaries. The triglycerides present in the food are hydrolyzed by the enzyme lipase and are emulsified by the bile juice secreted by the liver and hence they are converted into the fatty acids.

Then it moves to the small intestine, there it is again esterified. The triacylglycerol when combined with cholesterol ester, phospholipid an apolipoprotein to form chylomicrons. Then the obtained chylomicrons are transported into the veins by the lacteal by forming it as the milky vesicles called chyle. Hence lacteals take part in the absorption of the fat formed by the triglycerides in the food.

Hence, the correct answer is Option (B)

Note: These lacteals help in the absorption of the fat and the fat-soluble vitamins from the food and helps in converting the absorbed fat that can be transported through the bloodstream. Since the absorbed fat cannot be transported directly as the large molecules through the blood.