Question

How are fats digested in our bodies? Where does this process take place?

Answer 1

The fats are presented as large globules in our small intestine and are primarily digested in our small intestine only. Usually, the secretions from the liver (bile salts) and pancreas (lipase) helps for the digestion of fats.

Complete Answer:
- Digestion of fats occurs in the small intestine in the presence of digestive salts and enzymes. The fat digestion is a critical process and involves different steps. Initially, the breakdown of large globules of fats into smaller globules takes place in the presence of bile salts. The bile salts or juices are secreted from the liver.
- The bile salts reach the small intestine through bile ducts and the presence of bile salts makes the intestinal environment alkaline.
- Further, the smaller fat globules present in the intestinal alkaline environment are emulsified into small molecules in the presence of lipase enzymes. The enzyme lipase is secreted from the pancreas. This process is generally termed as fat emulsification.

Note: Emulsification helps in the breakdown of large fat globules into smaller globules. The smaller globules have greater surface area and thus the enzymes react over them more effectively.
- Furthermore, the lipase enzyme in the pancreatic secretions and other intestinal secretions helps in the conversion of the fats into fatty acids and glycerols. These by-products produced during the digestion of fats are further absorbed through the intestinal mucosa and are passed to the tissues via blood and lymph systems.
- After reaching into the biological system of the body, these by-products either provide energy or get accumulated after the re-esterification process.