Final answer:
The emulsification of fats is caused by bile salts, which are found in bile and are essential for breaking down large lipid globules into smaller ones, aiding in their digestion.
Step-by-step explanation:
The emulsification of fats is primarily caused by bile salts. Bile, a mixture secreted by the liver, contains these salts which are crucial for the digestion of lipids, especially triglycerides, within the small intestine. Emulsification is a process where large lipid globules are broken down into smaller ones, greatly increasing their surface area which, in turn, allows enzymes like pancreatic lipase to efficiently act upon them.
This process enables lipids to be broken down into fatty acids and glycerides, necessary for their absorption into the intestinal lining. They help in the digestion of lipids by breaking down large lipid globules into smaller ones, called micelles. This process increases the available surface area of the lipids and allows the lipase enzyme to act more efficiently on them.