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Glite Dictionary
🩸 A gut vessel 🥛 Like milk
lacteal

lacteal

9.9
A small tube in the small intestine that absorbs fat from digested food
  • noun
  • /ˈlæk.ti.əl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : lacteal
  • Chylomicrons enter the lacteal of each intestinal villus during digestion.

Examples

  • The lacteals play a crucial role in the absorption of dietary fats in the small intestine.

  • Each lacteal is responsible for transporting chyle.

  • Damage to the lacteals can impair the body's ability to absorb nutrients properly.

  • The lacteal vessels play a crucial role in fat absorption.

  • Chylomicrons enter the lacteal vessels in the small intestine to begin their journey into the bloodstream.

  • The function of a lacteal is to absorb fats from digested food and transport them to the thoracic duct.

  • Each lacteal within the intestinal villi plays an essential role in the nutrient absorption process.

Synonyms

vessel
vslacteal
  • Specialized
141 4.0

A tube in the body that carries blood or lymph

is a specialized intestinal tube that absorbs chyle rather than general fluids
lymphatic vessel
vslacteal
  • Specialized
6.7

A thin tube that carries clear tissue fluid back into the blood

is specific to the small intestine and absorbs chyle toward the thoracic duct

Surface Forms

lacteal singular
lacteals plural

Morphology

lacteal = lactation (semi-transparent) = lact + eal

Formed with the learned combining form 'lact-' (milk) plus the adjective-forming suffix '-eal'; the link to 'milk' is clear to those who know medical terms like 'lactation' but not to average learners.

Etymology

Lacteal comes from the Latin lac 'milk' because the small lymph vessels in the intestine carry a white, milky fluid called chyle during digestion, so these vessels were named for that 'milk-like' fluid.