System: Digestive
Location: On the underside of your liver
Physical description: Pear-shaped, green, muscular sac
Function: To store and concentrate bile produced in your liver Storing and concentrating bile Bile is a greenish-yellow, slightly acidic fluid that is made in your liver. You produce about one litre of it a day. Bile is stored in your gall bladder and once it gets there, it is concentrated by the removal of water. Breaking down fats After a meal, your gallbladder contracts, squeezing bile into your small intestine. Bile breaks down fat in the food you eat. Gallstones Most gall bladder disorders are due to the presence of gallstones. Gallstones form when cholesterol, one of the components of bile, crystallises to form a stone-like material. Back to top
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