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Human Body Study

Gallbladder

A small pouch tucked under the liver.

The digestive tract The GI tract from mouth through oesophagus, stomach, small intestine and large intestine, with liver, gallbladder and pancreas as accessory organs. Each label links to the article for that part. Mouth Esophagus Liver Stomach Gallbladder Pancreas Small intestine Large intestine The digestive tract and its accessory organs — schematic, not to scale.

What it does

Section titled “What it does”
  • Stores and concentrates the bile made by the liver.
  • Releases bile into the small intestine when a fatty meal arrives.

Key idea

Section titled “Key idea”

The gallbladder is purely a storage and timing organ; it can be removed and digestion continues, with bile simply flowing straight from the liver. Concentrated bile is also where gallstones can form.