What is the role of lacteals in the intestinal villus?

• A. They are lymphatic capillaries that absorb dietary fats into the lymphatic system
• B. They are blood vessels that absorb glucose
• C. They secrete digestive enzymes
• D. They store vitamins

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that lacteals in the intestinal villi are lymphatic vessels that handle fat absorption. In the lining of the small intestine, fats are packaged into chylomicrons inside enterocytes, and these particles are too large to enter ordinary blood capillaries. The nearby lymphatic capillaries, called lacteals, take up these fat-containing particles and transport them as lymph. This fat‑laden lymph eventually drains into the thoracic duct and then into the bloodstream, distributing dietary fats without first passing through the liver via the hepatic portal vein. So the role of lacteals is to absorb dietary fats into the lymphatic system. They are not responsible for absorbing glucose into blood vessels, secreting digestive enzymes, or storing vitamins.