Gall Bladder

Look at this picture of the gall bladder - make sure you can
identify the mucosa, muscle layer (muscularis externa) and
adventitia (or serosa).

The gall bladder is a simple muscular sac, lined by a simple

columnar epithelium. It receives and stores bile from the
liver via the hepatic and then cystic duct, and can store
about 50 to 100ml in humans. It is attached to the visceral
layer of the liver.

The gall bladder is stimulated to contract and expel the bile

into the duodenum, by the hormone cholecytoskinin
pancreozymin (CCK) produced by the endocrine cells of the
duodenal mucosa. The production of this enzyme is
stimulated by the presence of fat in the proximal duodenum. The contractions expel bile into the common bile
duct, and the bile is then carried to the duodenum.

The inner surface of the gall bladder is covered by the mucosa. The sufrace is made up of a simple columnar
epithelium. The epithelial cells have microvilli, and look like absorptive cells in the intestine. Underneath the
epithelium is the lamina propria. The wall of the bladder does not have a muscularis mucosae and submucosa.

The muscularis externa (muscle layer) contains bundles of smooth muscle cells, collagen and elastic fibres.
Underneath this, on the outside of the gall bladder is a thick layer of connective tissue, which contains large
blood vessels, nerves and a lymphatic network. Where this layer is attached to the liver, it is called the adventia.
In the unattached region, there is an outer layer of mesothelium and loose connective tissue (the serosa).
Histology Images:

Gall Bladder Structure

Anatomy

 Pear-shaped
 Distensible sac (about 50ml volume)
 Attached to posterioinferior surface of liver
 Embryonic - foregut, forms from primitive bile duct
 Leads to cystic duct
o Liver -> hepatic duct
o Gall bladder -> cystic duct
o Common Bile duct

Macroscopic Mucosal features:

 Mucosa (epithelium + lamina propria)

o Mucosal folds
o Rokitansky-Aschoff sinuses
 Serosa/Adventitia (dense CT + visceral mesothelium)

Epithelium

 Columnar epithelium with microvilli (absorptive epithelium)

o Epithelium lining the biliary system does not contain mucus-producing cells (few located in neck
of gall bladder)
 Basement membrane (not basal lamina which forms part of basement membrane and only visible by
EM)

Lamina Propria
  Connective tissue
 Collagen fibers and fibroblasts
 Fenestrated capillaries and venules
 Lymphocytes and plasma cells

Smooth Muscle Layer

 Random orientation of smooth muscle cells (fibers)

 Muscularis propria (or fibromuscular coat)[1]
o Not like the rest of git smooth muscle organisation, which is divided into muscularis mucosa
(inside submucosa), muscularis externa (circular and longitudinal)
o Various terminology used for this layer in different sources

Serosa/Adventitia

 Dense connective tissue layer covered with visceral mesothelium epithelial layer
o Adventitia - where it is attached to the liver
o Serosa - where it is free in the peritoneum
 Large blood vessels (arteries, veins)
 Obvious lymphatic vessels
 Autonomic nerve bundles
 Adipose tissue

Gall Bladder Function

 Bile storage
 Bile concentration
 Bile release

References:

http://www.histology.leeds.ac.uk/digestive/gallbladder.php

https://embryology.med.unsw.edu.au/embryology/index.php/Gastrointestinal_Tract_-_Gall_Bladder_Histology