📍 What is the Gallbladder?
The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped organ located beneath the liver, on the right side of the abdomen. It plays an important role in the digestive system, specifically in storing and releasing bile, a fluid that helps digest fats.
🧬 Anatomy of the Gallbladder
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Size: About 7–10 cm long
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Capacity: Holds about 30–50 mL of bile
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Parts:
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Fundus: Rounded bottom
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Body: Main part
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Neck: Connects to bile ducts (via the cystic duct)
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It connects to:
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The liver (which produces bile)
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The cystic duct → common bile duct
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The small intestine (specifically the duodenum)
🔬 Main Functions of the Gallbladder
| Function | Description |
|---|---|
| Stores bile | Bile is made by the liver and stored in the gallbladder until needed |
| Concentrates bile | Removes water to make bile more concentrated and effective |
| Releases bile | When fatty food is eaten, it contracts to release bile into the small intestine |
⚙️ How It Works — Step by Step
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Bile production
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The liver constantly produces bile, a yellow-green fluid containing bile salts, cholesterol, and waste (like bilirubin).
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Instead of flowing directly into the intestine all the time, bile goes to the gallbladder for storage.
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Storage and concentration
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Inside the gallbladder, bile is stored and concentrated by removing water.
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This concentrated bile is stronger and more efficient at breaking down fats.
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Signal from food
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When you eat fatty foods, a hormone called cholecystokinin (CCK) is released from the small intestine.
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CCK signals the gallbladder to contract.
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Bile release
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The gallbladder contracts and sends bile through the cystic duct, into the common bile duct, and finally into the duodenum (first part of the small intestine).
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In the intestine, bile emulsifies fats, breaking them into smaller droplets for enzymes to digest.
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🧪 What is Bile Made Of?
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Bile salts — Help digest fats
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Cholesterol — Fat-related substance
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Bilirubin — Waste product from broken-down red blood cells
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Water, electrolytes — Maintain fluid balance
⚠️ Common Gallbladder Problems
| Condition | Description |
|---|---|
| Gallstones (cholelithiasis) | Hard particles (usually cholesterol) that form in the gallbladder |
| Cholecystitis | Inflammation of the gallbladder, often due to gallstones |
| Biliary colic | Pain caused by blocked bile flow |
| Gallbladder cancer | Rare but serious condition |
🧠 Interesting Facts
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You can live without a gallbladder — bile will flow directly from the liver to the intestine, but digestion of fats may become less efficient.
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Gallstones are more common in people with high-fat diets, obesity, diabetes, or rapid weight loss.
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The gallbladder is often removed surgically through a procedure called laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
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Bile has a bitter taste and helps neutralize stomach acid in the intestine.
🩺 Medical Terms Related to the Gallbladder
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Chole- | Prefix meaning “bile” |
| Cholecyst | Gallbladder (e.g., cholecystectomy = gallbladder removal) |
| Cholelithiasis | Gallstones |
| Cholecystitis | Inflammation of the gallbladder |
| Biliary tract | The system of bile ducts and gallbladder |