What are the products of fat digestion?

• A. Fatty acids and glycerol
• B. Glucose
• C. Amino acids
• D. Nucleotides

Answer: (A)

Fats are triglycerides, and they must be broken down into smaller units to be absorbed. After bile salts emulsify fats to increase surface area, pancreatic lipase acts on the triglycerides and splits them into fatty acids and monoglycerides. In the intestinal lining, monoglycerides can be further broken down into glycerol and a fatty acid, but the key end products that are taken up by the intestine are fatty acids and glycerol. These products are packaged for transport and later used or stored in the body. The other substances listed come from digestion of carbohydrates, proteins, and nucleic acids, not fats.