Bile salts and lipase enzymes break up complex lipid molecules into monoglycerides and free fatty acids. The release of bile is stimulated when the acidic chyme from the stomach enters the duodenum. It mixes with the food and acts first as an emulsifier on the fats in the chyme, breaking them up into small droplets.
Then the lipase enzymes can work more effectively,
The monoglycerides and some of the fatty acids combine with bile salts to then form microscopic droplets called micelles. These are soluble in water and diffuse easily into epithelial cells, along with the remaining fatty acids. Once inside the cells, the fatty acids and glycerol recombine, forming triglycerides that are covered in a protein coat to stop them sticking together. These particles are called chylomicrons and they leave the intestinal epithelial cells and pass into a lacteal, a small branch of the body's lymphatic system.
Then the lipase enzymes can work more effectively,
The monoglycerides and some of the fatty acids combine with bile salts to then form microscopic droplets called micelles. These are soluble in water and diffuse easily into epithelial cells, along with the remaining fatty acids. Once inside the cells, the fatty acids and glycerol recombine, forming triglycerides that are covered in a protein coat to stop them sticking together. These particles are called chylomicrons and they leave the intestinal epithelial cells and pass into a lacteal, a small branch of the body's lymphatic system.
