Word parts
What it means
The liver makes bile all the time, and the gallbladder stores and concentrates it. After a meal with fat, the gallbladder squeezes bile through the bile ducts into the small intestine, where it breaks fat into small droplets for digestion. Bile also carries bilirubin, a breakdown product of old red cells, out of the body, which gives stool its brown color. When bile flow is blocked, bilirubin builds up and causes jaundiceJAWN-disYellow color of the skin, the whites of the eyes and other tissues from too much bilirubin in the blood.Full entry .
At a glance
| Spanish | bilis |
|---|---|
| Also written | biliary |
Related terms
jaundice
Yellow color of the skin, the whites of the eyes and other tissues from too much bilirubin in the blood.
cholecystitis
Inflammation of the gallbladder.
cholecystectomy
Surgery to remove the gallbladder.
feces
Solid waste passed from the bowel through the anus, made of undigested food, water, bacteria and cells.