Image: Nutrient absorbtion to blood and lymph

Description: Nutrients in food are absorbed via intestinal villi to blood (arterioles in red and venules in blue) and lymph (green). A singular villus is shown in the picture and is greatly enlargened. Long-chain fatty acids, other as fat soluble lipids and medicines move to the lymph. These substances move in the lymph enveloped inside chylomicrons. Chylomicrons move via thoraic duct of the lymphatic system and finally enter the blood via left subclavian vein. Thus they bypass liver's first pass metabolism completely. This can be of use in the case of some medicines if liver cells metabolize the medicine to an inactive form. Amino acids, carbohydrates and some small short-chain fatty acids are absorbed straight to the blood instead of the lymph. They move to the liver to be processed via hepatic portal vein and then end up into the bodywide blood circulation.
Title: Nutrient absorbtion to blood and lymph
Credit: Own work
Author: Keministi
Usage Terms: Creative Commons Zero, Public Domain Dedication
License: CC0
License Link: http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.en
Attribution Required?: No