Final answer:
Long-chain fatty acids are absorbed by being packaged into micelles which facilitate their uptake by the intestinal cells. Once inside, they are reassembled into triglycerides and formed into chylomicrons for transport through the lymphatic system and into the bloodstream.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct answer to the question about the absorption of long-chain fatty acids is: b. They are packaged into micelles and then taken up by the intestinal cells.
During the process of lipid absorption, most lipids are absorbed in the small intestine. Bile salts and pancreatic lipases break down triglycerides into free fatty acids that are then emulsified into micelles with the assistance of bile salts and lecithin. These micelles transport the fat particles to the surface of the enterocytes (intestinal cells), where the micelles release the fats allowing them to diffuse across the cell membrane. Inside the enterocytes, the fatty acids are reassembled into triglycerides, which are then mixed with other lipids and proteins to form chylomicrons.
Chylomicrons are lipoprotein complexes that enable fats and cholesterol to move within the aqueous environments of the lymphatic and circulatory systems. They exit the enterocytes by exocytosis and enter the lymphatic system through lacteals in the villi of the intestine. Eventually, they reach the bloodstream, where they can be transported to the liver or be stored in adipose tissue as fat.