The Gallbladder

The body is amazing – find out about the gallbladder.    .

The gallbladder is a pear-shaped hollow structure located under the liver on the right hand side of the abdominal cavity. Its primary function is to store and concentrate bile, a yellowish enzyme produced in the liver. The gallbladder is part of the biliary tract. The gallbladder serves as a reservoir for bile while it’s not being used for digestion.

Bile, also known as gall, is needed for the digestion of food. The liver produces the bile and then it flows through ducts into the gallbladder. The bile emulsifies fats in partly digested food, therefore assisting their absorption. Bile consists mainly of water and bile salts.

Bile secreted by the liver is not the same as that secreted by the gallbladder. Gallbladder bile is concentrated due to the removal of water and electrolytes.

The bile helps the digestive process by breaking up fats. It also drains waste products from the liver into the duodenum, a part of the small intestine.