What Is the Gallbladder?

Question: What Is the Gallbladder?

Answer: The gallbladder is a pear-shaped organ that sits under your liver. It acts as a storehouse for bile. Bile is a fluid produced by your liver to help your body digest fat. When you eat food, your gallbladder releases bile through a tube called the common bile duct. The bile is then released into your small intestine, where it helps your body break down the fat. Unlike the liver or lungs, the gallbladder is not an organ necessary for life.

_Sources:

_{"Common Gastrointestinal Problems - Gallstones." American College of Gastroenterology. 13 Jul 2009}

_{"Gallstones." American College of Gastroenterology. 13 Jul 2009}

_{"Gallstones." NIH Publication No. 07–2897 July 2007. National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC). 13 Jul 2009}