The gallbladder is located right underneath the liver. This thin-walled, pear-shaped organ is about 7 to 10 centimeters (2.7 to 3.9 inches) long and up to 5 centimeters (2 inches) across at its widest point.
The gallbladder stores and concentrates bile from the liver. The bile is then released into the first section of the small intestine (the duodenum), where it helps your body to break down and absorb fats from food.
The cells of the liver produce about 800 to 1,000 milliliters (about 27 to 34 fluid ounces) of bile every day. Bile is a yellow, brownish or olive-green liquid that helps our body digest fats. The liver cells secrete the bile into small canals that lead to the common bile duct. From there, a smaller duct branches off and leads to the gallbladder. The common bile duct ends at the small intestine.
Location of the gallbladder
The bile produced by the liver flows directly into the small intestine during a meal. Between meals, when there's no fat that needs to be digested, most of the bile flows into the gallbladder instead, where it is concentrated and stored. The gallbladder usually holds about 30 to 80 milliliters (about 1 to 2.7 fluid ounces) of fluid. When we eat fatty foods, the gallbladder contracts and squeezes bile through the bile duct. The bile is mixed into the semi-digested food in the small intestine.
Bile is mainly made up of water, but also has bile salts, cholesterol, certain fats (lecithin) and bile pigments in it. The main bile pigment, bilirubin, is made when red blood cells are broken down in the liver. Bilirubin is what makes urine (pee) yellow and stool (poop) brown.
Bile salts break down larger fat globules in food into small droplets of fat. Smaller fat droplets are easier for the digestive enzymes from the pancreas to process and break down. The bile salts also help the cells in the bowel to absorb these fat droplets.
Sources
Brandes R, Lang F, Schmidt R. Physiologie des Menschen: mit Pathophysiologie. Berlin: Springer; 2019.
Lippert H. Lehrbuch Anatomie. München: Urban und Fischer; 2017.
Menche N (Ed). Biologie Anatomie Physiologie. München: Urban und Fischer; 2016.
Pschyrembel. Klinisches Wörterbuch. Berlin: De Gruyter; 2017.
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FAQs
The gallbladder usually holds about 30 to 80 milliliters (about 1 to 2.7 fluid ounces) of fluid. When we eat fatty foods, the gallbladder contracts and squeezes bile through the bile duct. The bile is mixed into the semi-digested food in the small intestine.
What is one function of the gallbladder ____ group of answer choices? ›
The digestive role of the liver is to produce bile and export it to the duodenum. The gallbladder primarily stores, concentrates, and releases bile. The pancreas produces pancreatic juice, which contains digestive enzymes and bicarbonate ions, and delivers it to the duodenum.
Which statement best describes the function of the gallbladder? ›
Which best describes the role of the gallbladder? Correct answer: D. The gallbladder stores, concentrates, and secretes bile.
What is the function of the gallbladder quizlet? ›
Its primary function is to store and concentrate bile.
How does your gallbladder stop working? ›
Gallbladder diseases are most often caused by gallstones, which can block the flow of bile through the bile ducts, causing inflammation and pain. Most gallbladder diseases are treated with gallbladder removal surgery.
What is the physiology of the gallbladder? ›
The gallbladder is a component of the extrahepatic biliary system where bile is stored and concentrated. Bile is a fluid formed in the liver that is essential for digesting fats, excreting cholesterol, and even possesses antimicrobial activity.
What are the first signs of a bad gallbladder? ›
Symptoms
- Jaundice.
- Dark urine, lighter stools or both.
- Rapid heartbeat and abrupt blood pressure drop.
- Fever, chills, nausea and vomiting, with severe pain in the upper right abdomen.
What is the Gallbladder's function? Serves as a reservoir for bile with a 50 ml capacity. Concentrates the bile. Discharges bile in the duodenum.
What is the function of the gallbladder teach me anatomy? ›
The primary function of the gallbladder is to concentrate and store bile which is produced by the liver. As part of the gustatory response, the stored bile is then released from the gallbladder in response to cholecystokinin.
What is gallbladder function notes? ›
Your gallbladder is a small organ located just below the liver on the right side of the body. Its primary function is to store and secrete bile, which helps your body digest fats. A number of medical conditions can affect the gallbladder.
A HIDA scan is most often done to evaluate the gallbladder. It's also used to look at the bile-excreting function of the liver and to track the flow of bile from the liver into the small intestine. A HIDA scan is often used with X-ray and ultrasound.
Which of the following best defines the gallbladder? ›
The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped organ that stores bile and is located in your upper right abdomen, below your liver. The bile ducts of your biliary tract include the hepatic ducts, common bile duct, and cystic duct. Bile ducts also carry waste and digestive juices from the liver and pancreas to the duodenum.
What is the major role of the gallbladder _____? ›
Your gallbladder is part of your digestive system. Its main function is to store bile. Bile helps your digestive system break down fats. Bile is a mixture of mainly cholesterol, bilirubin and bile salts.
What does the gallbladder need to function? ›
The gallbladder stores bile, a thick liquid that's produced by the liver to help us digest fat. When we eat, the gallbladder's thin, muscular lining squeezes bile into the small intestine through the main bile duct. The more fat we eat, the more bile the gallbladder injects into the digestive tract.
What is the function of the gallbladder quizlet Chapter 11? ›
Rationale: The gallbladder is a sac-shaped organ located under the liver. It stores bile that is produced by the liver. Name the three sections of the small intestine. Rationale: The three sections of the small intestine are the duodenum, jejunum, and the ileum.
What will happen when gallbladder is removed? ›
Living without a gallbladder
Your liver will still make enough bile to digest your food, but instead of being stored in the gallbladder, it drips continuously into your digestive system. You may have been advised to eat a special diet before surgery, but this doesn't need to be continued afterwards.
How does the gallbladder empty itself? ›
The gall bladder empties itself of its content through the cystic duct (1) by the washing out of its contents by bile from the liver, (2) by the elasticity or contractile mechanism of its walls, and (3) by variations of intraabdominal pressure due to respiratory movements, contiguous organs, etc.
What are the symptoms of low functioning gallbladder? ›
What Are the Symptoms of a Low-Functioning Gallbladder? Some people don't experience any symptoms at all – at least until the condition becomes critical. Other people may experience symptoms like abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting due to pain, loss of appetite, itchy skin, or even yellowish skin.
