lacteal capillary

Lacteals are lymphatic vessels found in the small intestine that absorb dietary fat. After a meal, they appear white due to the fat globules they contain, a substance known as chyle. The smallest lacteals are lacteal capillaries, which are minute vessels located at the center of villi, the fingerlike projections lining the small intestine's mucous membrane.1

These lacteal capillaries drain into larger lacteals within the submucosa, the connective tissue layer beneath the mucous membrane. The largest lacteals then connect to lymph nodes in the mesentery, a membrane fold that anchors the intestines to the back of the abdomen. This system is crucial for fat absorption, where fats are processed into chylomicrons and then enter the lacteals to be transported through the lymphatic system.12