Gall Bladder (Gallbladder, Cholecyst)
The Gall Bladder, or Gallbladder or Cholecyst is about 10-12 cm long and is a dark green bladder which color comes from its content. This content is called bile or gall.
The Gall Bladder is connected to the liver and to the duodenum by the biliary tract. The name biliary tract comes from the bile (gall).
The Cystic Duct
The Cystic Duct connects the Gall Bladder to the common hepatic duct to form the common bile duct. The Cystic duct is not very big.
The Common Bile Duct
The Common Bile Duct is attached right to the Gall Bladder. The common bile duct joins the pancreatic duct and enters through the hepatopancreatic ampulla at the major duodenal papilla.
The Gall Bladder (Gallbladder) Anatomy
The Gall Bladder (Gallbladder) is made up by several layers of tissue:
Gall Bladder (Gallbladder) Function
The Gall Bladders function is to store about 50mL of bile (gall fluid). The bile (gall) is released when food containing fat is entering the digestive tract. Cholecystokinin (CCK) is a peptide hormone sexreted by the duodenum that helps this process. Most digestion then occours in the duodenum.
Bile (gall)
The bile is produced in the liver and stored in the gall bladder. When bile is stored in the gallbladder it becomes more concentrated. This means that the bile's potency increases and its effect on fat is intensifying. The bile is then released into the duodenom.
