At which location does the digestion of fats initiate?

The digestion of fats actually initiates in the mouth and continues in the stomach, but the most significant breakdown of fats occurs in the duodenum. The duodenum is the first segment of the small intestine, where pancreatic enzymes and bile are introduced. Specifically, bile from the gallbladder emulsifies fats, breaking them down into smaller globules, which increases the surface area available for enzymes to act on. Pancreatic lipase, an enzyme secreted by the pancreas, plays a crucial role in the digestion of fats in this phase.

While other locations contribute to the overall process, the duodenum is where the action culminates, as it is equipped with the necessary enzymes and bile to effectively digest fats into fatty acids and glycerol for absorption in the subsequent parts of the intestines. Therefore, understanding the roles of the mouth and stomach is important, but the primary site of fat digestion initiation and significant processing happens in the duodenum.