The turbid, or milky, appearance of serum after fat ingestion is termed postprandial lipemia, which is caused by the presence of what substance?

The turbid, or milky, appearance of serum after fat ingestion is termed postprandial lipemia, which is caused by the presence of what substance?

• A. Bilirubin
• B. Cholesterol
• C. Chylomicron
• D. Phospholipid

Answer: (C)

When fat is eaten, the intestine packages dietary triglycerides and cholesterol into chylomicrons, large lipoprotein particles that enter the bloodstream. These chylomicrons are rich in triglycerides, so their temporary abundance in blood after a fatty meal makes serum appear milky or turbid—this is postprandial lipemia. Bilirubin is a pigment unrelated to lipid transport, cholesterol is carried by several lipoproteins but does not by itself cause this post-meal turbidity, and phospholipids are a component of lipoproteins rather than the primary cause of the milky appearance. The milky serum specifically points to the presence of chylomicrons.

When fat is eaten, the intestine packages dietary triglycerides and cholesterol into chylomicrons, large lipoprotein particles that enter the bloodstream. These chylomicrons are rich in triglycerides, so their temporary abundance in blood after a fatty meal makes serum appear milky or turbid—this is postprandial lipemia. Bilirubin is a pigment unrelated to lipid transport, cholesterol is carried by several lipoproteins but does not by itself cause this post-meal turbidity, and phospholipids are a component of lipoproteins rather than the primary cause of the milky appearance. The milky serum specifically points to the presence of chylomicrons.