Gallbladder

The gallbladder is a small non-vital organ which aids in the digestive process and concentrates bile produced in the liver.

The gallbladder stores about 50 mL of bile, which is released when food containing fat enters the digestive tract, stimulating the secretion of cholecystokinin (CCK) (a hormone of the gastrointestinal system responsible for stimulating the digestion of fat and protein). The bile, produced in the liver, emulsifies fats and neutralizes acids in partly digested food.

After being stored in the gallbladder the bile becomes more concentrated than when it left the liver, increasing its potency and intensifying its effect on fats.