What is gallbladder?

The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped organ located under the right lobe of the liver. Both the liver and the gallbladder are behind the right lower ribs. The gallbladder is usually about 3 to 4 inches long and normally no wider than 1 inch. The gallbladder concentrates and stores bile, a fluid made in the liver. Bile helps digest the fats in foods as they pass through the small intestine. Bile may be released from the liver directly into the small intestine, or it may be stored in the gallbladder and released later. When food (especially fatty food) is being digested, the gallbladder contracts and releases bile through a small tube called the cystic duct. The cystic duct joins up with the hepatic duct, which comes from the liver, to form the common bile duct. The common bile duct empties into the small intestine.

The gallbladder is helpful, but it is not essential for life. Many people live normal lives after having their gallbladders removed.

~ by marigold on August 12, 2009.