Final answer:
The breakdown products of fats are absorbed into lacteals. They are reassembled into triglycerides, form chylomicrons, and enter the lacteals in the small intestine, unlike other nutrients that enter the bloodstream directly. The correct option is a.
Step-by-step explanation:
The breakdown products of fats are absorbed into lacteals. The process of fat digestion begins in the small intestine where fats are emulsified by bile. With the help of bile salts and lecithin, the dietary fats form micelles, which carry the fat particles to the enterocytes (intestinal cells).
There, fats are reassembled into triglycerides and mixed with other lipids and proteins to form chylomicrons. These chylomicrons then enter the lacteals, which are small lymphatic vessels located in the villi of the small intestine, designed specifically for the transport of lipids.
Unlike fats, the products of nucleic acid digestion (pentose sugars, nitrogenous bases, and phosphate ions) and the monomers of carbohydrates and proteins are absorbed directly into the bloodstream and do not pass through the lacteals. The correct option is a.