Bile

Bile is a fluid produced by the liver, stored in the gallbladder, and discharged into the small intestine, where it helps in the digestion of food, particularly fats. Bile is made up of water, salts, bile acids, cholesterol, and lecithin (a fatty acid).

Functions

Bile acts like a detergent to break down fat in the intestine into tiny globules that can be dissolved and suspended in water; the tiny globules can then pass through the walls of the small intestine into the bloodstream. The bile salts are also absorbed through the walls of the intestine but are returned to the liver to form new bile.

The yellow-green or golden color of bile is due to the pigments bilirubin and biliverdin. Bilirubin is a yellow pigment derived from decomposed red blood cells. Biliverdin is a green pigment derived from conversion of bilirubin by a chemical reaction. These pigments are also responsible for some of the color of body wastes.

Bile is produced continuously in the liver and passes through ducts to be stored in the gallbladder until mealtime, at which time it is emptied into the duodenum. Digestive disturbances result if the flow of bile is stopped or reduced, either because of a liver disorder or because a duct has been blocked by inflammation or a gallstone (a solid mass of material usually composed of calcium, cholesterol, bilirubin, or a combination thereof) formed in the gallbladder. Any of these conditions can also cause jaundice, in which the pigments bilirubin and biliverdin accumulate in the blood. Jaundice, although not a disease in itself, shows up as yellow staining of the skin, eyes, and body fluids.



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