What happens to the fat we take in meals? When we eat fat, it is digested and absorbed in our gastrointestinal tract. Some fat is not absorbed and excreted. Fat is one of the three macronutrients of human food, along with carbohydrates and proteins. Fat is a very good source of energy and essential for cell formation and vitamin absorption. It is vital for good health. However, an excess of fat is hazardous for our health. Let us delve into the fate of fat in our body. Digestion of fat: Lipids are large molecules, and unlike carbohydrates and proteins, they are not soluble in water and do not mix with the watery blood. So, they like to cluster together in large droplets in a liquid surrounding the gastrointestinal tract. The digestive process breaks those large droplets of fat into smaller droplets, and then enzymes digest lipid molecules using enzymes called lipase. In the mouth: Chewing breaks food into smaller particles and mixes them with saliva. Lingual lipase be
Small Intestine Keywords: Small intestine, Duodenum, Jejunum, Ileum, Structure Brunner’s gland, Crypt of Lieberkuhn, plica circularis, Paneth cells, Enterokinase. Table of contents: 1. Introduction 2. Structure 3. Secretion 4. Mechanism of secretion 5. Regulation of secretion 6. Functions The small intestine is a hollow muscular tubal organ of the gastrointestinal tract which extends from the stomach above and below the large intestine . Its length is about 25 ft(6.5-7.5meter) and folds many times to accommodate the abdomen. Its diameter is 3cm. When the diameter becomes more than 3cm, it is abnormal. The small intestine develops from the midgut of the primitive gut tube. The small intestine is divided into 1.Duodenum 2. Jejunum and 3.Ileum. Structure of small intestine : The small intestine structure