Morphological appearance of fat in the epithelial cells of different portions of the intestines in mice.

Absorption of administered fat in the small intestine of mice as judged morphologically in semi-thin sections demonstrates a proximal to distal gradient, being greatest in the mid-jejunal area, but less in the duodenum and ileum. The criterion of the amount and size of fat droplets in intestinal epithelial cells, however, does not necessarily give a reliable indication of the efficiency of fat absorption in the different segments of the intestine.