What it means
The ducts form a branching system: hepatic ducts drain the liver, the cystic duct connects the gallbladderGAWL-blad-erA small pear-shaped sac under the liver that stores bile and releases it to help digest fat.Full entry , and they join as the common bile ductKOM-un BILE DUKTThe tube that carries bile from the liver and gallbladder into the small intestine.Full entry , which empties into the duodenum. A gallstone or tumor that blocks a bile duct backs bile up into the blood 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
| Also written | bile ducts |
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Related terms
jaundice
Yellow color of the skin, the whites of the eyes and other tissues from too much bilirubin in the blood.
gallbladder
A small pear-shaped sac under the liver that stores bile and releases it to help digest fat.
bile
A yellow-green fluid made by the liver and stored in the gallbladder that helps digest fats.
choledoch/o
A word root that means the common bile duct.
common bile duct
The tube that carries bile from the liver and gallbladder into the small intestine.