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Fats are hydrophobic (a term referring to fearing water) therefore they tend to
separate from water. Digestive enzymes on the other hand are hydrophilic (a term
referring to water loving). The goal of digestion of lipids is to dismantle the
triglyceride into smaller molecules that the body can absorb and use namely
monoglycerides, fatty acids and glycerol. Most of the digestion of lipids occurs in the
small intestines.
1.Mouth
Hard fats begin to melt when they reach body temporary. Salivary glands secrets a
lipase known as lingual lipase, which plays a key role in the digestion of small and
medium chain fatty acids, found in milk. It is important for fat digestion in suckling
infants, whose pancreatic function may not be fully developed.
2.Stomach
Fats float as a layer above the other components of swallowed food. As a result, little
fat digestion takes place. The acid-stable lingual lipase initiates lipid digestion by
hydrolyzing one bond of triglycerides to produce diglycerides and fatty acids. The
degree of hydrolysis by lingual lipase is slight for most fats but may be appreciable
for milk fats. The stomachs churning action mixes fat with water and acid. A gastric
lipase accesses and hydrolyses only a small amount of fat.
3.Small intestines
Most of the hydrolysis of triglycerides occurs in the small intestines. The acidity of
the chyme (thick semi fluid mass of food) stimulates the secretion of the hormone
cholecystokinin (CCK), which signals the gall bladder to release its store of bile.
Bile is a compound made from cholesterol and is composed of a lipophilic portion and
a hydrophilic portion. Bile emulsifies fats (disperses and stabilizes fat droplets in a
watery solution) making the ester linkages of the triglycerides accessible to the
lipases. Pancreatic lipase flows in from the pancreas via the pancreatic dust and
hydrolyses the emulsified fat into monoglycerides, glycerol, and fatty acids, which are
absorbed by the body.
Titany answered the question on November 5, 2021 at 10:10
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