Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Lacteals
Introduction
Overview
Overview
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
External links
- Template:EMedicineDictionary
- Histology image: 11705loa – Histology Learning System at Boston University – “117. Digestive System: Alimentary Canal jejunum, central lacteals “
- Diagram at ohio-state.edu
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]