How do villi help the lymphatic system?
1 Answer
The villi help the lymphatic system by absorbing fats and fat-soluble vitamins for transport to the venous system.
Explanation:
The walls lining the intestines are covered with many tiny, finger-like protrusions, or villi, that provide a large surface area for efficient absorption of nutrients.
(from library.med.utah.edu)
The centre of each villus contains blood capillaries and special lymph capillaries called lacteals.
(From www.bbc.co.uk)
The blood capillaries absorb water-soluble nutrients, but the lacteals absorb the fats and fat-soluble vitamins.
The lacteals carry the mixture of lymph and nutrients, known as chyle to lymph vessels in the intestinal wall.
The chyle is then collected into larger lymph vessels that feed eventually into the venous circulation.
