Tags: Anatomical Structure.
A lacteal is a lymphatic capillary that absorbs dietary fats in the villi of the small intestine. Triglycerides are emulsified by bile and hydrolyzed by the enzyme lipase resulting in a mixture of fatty acids and monoglycerides. These then pass from the intestinal lumen into the enterocyte where they are re-esterified to form triacylglycerol. The triacylglycerol is then combined with phospholipids cholesterol ester and apolipoprotein B-48 to form chylomicrons.
