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The gallbladder (or cholecyst) is a pear-shaped organ that stores bile (or "gall") until the body needs it for digestion. It is connected to the liver and the duodenum by the biliary tract.1 Anatomy
Not all mammals have gallbladders. The rat and horse, for example, do not have a specialised organ for the storage of bile. The gallbladder is connected to the main bile duct through the gallbladder duct ( cystic duct or, in Latin, ductus cysticus). The main biliary tract runs from the liver to the duodenum, and the cystic duct is effectively a "cul de sac", serving as entrance and exit to the gallbladder. The surface marking of the gallbladder is the intersection of the mid-clavicular line (MCL) and the transpyloric plane , or the tip of the ninth rib. The blood supply is by the cystic artery and vein, which run parallel to the cystic duct.
2 Microscopic anatomy
The gallbladder has an epithelial lining characterised by recesses (called Aschoff's recesses), which are pouches inside the lining. Under the epithelium there is a layer of connective tissue, followed by a muscular wall that contracts in response to cholecystokinin.
3 Function
The gallbladder stores bile, which is released when fat-containing food enters the digestive tract, stimulating the secretionSecretion is the process of segregating, elaborating, and releasing chemicals from a cell. Eukaryotic Cells have a highly evolved process of secretion. Proteins targeted for the outside are synthesized by ribosomes docked to the rough endoplasmic reticulu of cholecystokinin (CCK).
4 Role in disease
4.1 Cholestasis
Cholestasis is the blockage in the supply of bile into the digestive tract. It can be "intrahepatic" (the obstruction is in the liver) or "extrahepatic" (outside the liver). It can lead to jaundiceJaundice technically known as icterus is yellowing of the skin, sclera (eyes) and mucous membranes caused by increased levels of bilirubin in the system. Usually the concentration of bilirubin in the blood must exceed 2-3mg/dL for the coloration to be eas, and is identified by the presence of elevated bilirubinBilirubin is a yellow breakdown product of haem heme in American English). Haem is a special ring shaped molecule that is found in haemoglobin. The haem ring holds the iron atoms of haem and is essential to the oxygen carrying capacity of blood. Bilirubin level that is mainly conjugatedThe word conjugation has several meanings: Grammatical conjugation is the modification of a verb from its basic form. In biology, conjugation is sexual reproduction involving interchange of DNA between cells, rather than their fusion. Various forms of con.
4.2 Cholelithiasis
Up to 25% of all people have gallstones (cholelithiasis), composed of cholesterol, lecitin and bile acid s. These can cause colicky shooting abdominal pain, usually in relation with the meal, as the gallbladder contracts and gallstones pass through the bile duct. Surgery ( cholecystectomy, removal of the gallbladder) is the most common treatment for gallstones. It can be performed laparoscopically, and it is in fact one of the most common procedures done through the laparoscope.
People traditionally considered at an increased risk of cholelithiasis are people who are 5 F's:
