What process is used when bile salts break apart lipid droplets?

• A. Hydrolysis
• B. Oxidation
• C. Emulsification
• D. Fermentation

Answer: (C)

Bile salts act as emulsifying agents in the small intestine, using their amphipathic nature to coat fat droplets and disperse them into much smaller droplets. This physical dispersion increases the surface area of the lipids, making it easier for pancreatic lipase to access and hydrolyze them. Emulsification is about breaking up the droplets themselves, not breaking the chemical bonds of the triglycerides yet. This step is separate from hydrolysis, which is the enzymatic breaking of ester bonds in triglycerides into fatty acids and monoglycerides once surface area is increased. Oxidation and fermentation aren’t involved in this lipid-digestion step.