Bile salts break down large fat globules into smaller ones, facilitating the action of digestive enzymes, similar to how soaps emulsify dirt.
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Bile salts break down large fat globules into smaller ones, facilitating the action of digestive enzymes, similar to how soaps emulsify dirt.
Bile salts aid in the digestion of fats in the small intestine by emulsifying large fat globules into smaller droplets. Produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder, bile salts are released into the duodenum in response to the presence of fatty chyme. Bile salts have hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions, allowing them to surround fat droplets and break them into smaller particles. This increased surface area facilitates the action of lipases, enzymes that hydrolyze triglycerides into fatty acids and monoglycerides. Emulsification by bile salts enhances the efficiency of fat digestion and the subsequent absorption of fatty acids in the small intestine.