chylomicron /kī′lōmī″kron/ [Gk, chylos + mikros, small] , minute lipoproteins measuring less than 0.5 μm in diameter. Chylomicrons consist of about 90 triglycerides with small amounts of cholesterol, phospholipids, fat-soluble vitamins, and protein. They are synthesized in the GI tract and carry dietary fat from the intestinal mucosa via the thoracic lymphatic duct into the plasma and ultimately to the liver and tissues. The remnant chylomicron particles are removed by the liver.
