What is the function of human gallbladder

Everyone knows that there are many organs in the human body. Problems with any organ will cause harm to the body. However, the gallbladder is often overlooked. What is the function of the human gallbladder? What is stored in the gallbladder is of course bile, which plays a vital role in aiding digestion. In particular, the cholecystokinin produced is very beneficial for the digestion and absorption of fat.

The gallbladder is located under the liver. A normal gallbladder is about 8 to 12 cm long, 3 to 5 cm wide, and has a capacity of about 30 to 60 ml. Some people say that the gallbladder is related to the courage, and that after the gallbladder is removed, the courage becomes smaller. This is completely unscientific. The gallbladder is connected to the common bile duct through the bile duct.

What is the function of the gallbladder?

(1) Storing bile: When a person is hungry (i.e. not in the digestive period), bile is stored in the gallbladder. When digestion is needed, the bile is discharged from the gallbladder, so the gallbladder is called the "bile warehouse." At the same time, it also plays a role in buffering bile duct pressure.

(2) Concentrated bile: Most of the water and electrolytes in the golden alkaline liver bile are absorbed by the gallbladder mucosa and returned to the blood, leaving the effective ingredients in the bile to be stored in the gallbladder, turning into brown or dark green weakly acidic gallbladder bile.

(3) Mucus secretion: The gallbladder mucosa can secrete 20 ml of thick mucus every day to protect the bile duct mucosa from erosion and dissolution by concentrated bile.

(4) Emptying: 3 to 5 minutes after eating, food passes through the duodenum and stimulates the duodenal mucosa to produce a hormone called cholecystokinin, which causes the gallbladder to contract and immediately discharge the bile in the gallbladder into the duodenum to aid in the digestion and absorption of fat. At the same time as the bile is discharged, the bacteria in the bile duct are also discharged from the body along with the bile. Generally speaking, the gallbladder can be emptied half an hour after eating fat.

The action of bile is mainly due to the action of bile salts or bile acids. Bile salts or bile acids can act as emulsifiers to emulsify fat, reduce the surface tension of fat, emulsify fat into droplets, and disperse it in aqueous solution, thus increasing the action area of ​​pancreatic lipase. Bile acids can also combine with fatty acids to form water-soluble complexes, promoting the absorption of fatty acids. In short, bile is of great significance for the digestion and absorption of fat.