ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY

Gallbladder, muscular organ that serves as a reservoir for bile, present in most vertebrates. In humans, it is a pear-shaped membranous sac on the undersurface of the right lobe of the liver just below the lower ribs. It is generally about 7.5 cm (about 3 in) long and 2.5 cm (1 in) in diameter at its thickest part; it has a capacity varying from 1 to 1.5 fluid ounces. The body (corpus) and neck (collum) of the gallbladder extend backward, upward, and to the left. The wide end (fundus) points downward and forward, sometimes extending slightly beyond the edge of the liver. Structurally, the gallbladder consists of an outer peritoneal coat (tunica serosa); a middle coat of fibrous tissue and unstriped muscle (tunica muscularis); and an inner mucous membrane coat (tunica mucosa). The function of the gallbladder is to store bile, secreted by the liver and transmitted from that organ via the cystic and hepatic ducts, until it is needed in the digestive process. The gallbladder, when functioning normally, empties through the biliary ducts into the duodenum to aid digestion by promoting peristalsis and absorption, preventing putrefaction, and emulsifying fat. Digestion of fat occurs mainly in the small intestine, by pancreatic enzymes called lipases. The purpose of bile is to; help the Lipases to Work, by emulsifying fat into smaller droplets to increase access for the enzymes, Enable intake of fat, including fat-soluble vitamins: Vitamin A, D, E, and K, rid the body of surpluses and metabolic wastes Cholesterol and Bilirubin.

ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY

Removal of the Gallbladder? In some cases, the gallbladder must be removed. The surgery to remove the gallbladder is called a cholecystectomy (pronounced co-lee-sist-eck-toe-mee). In a cholecystectomy, the gallbladder is removed through a 5- to 8-inch long cut in your abdomen. Once the gallbladder is removed, bile is delivered directly from the liver ducts to the upper part of the intestine.

Function of liver The liver has many functions. Some of the functions are: to produce substances that break down fats, convert glucose to glycogen, produce urea (the main substance of urine), make certain amino acids (the building blocks of proteins), filter harmful substances from the blood (such as alcohol), storage of vitamins and minerals (vitamins A, D, K and B12) and maintain a proper level or glucose in the blood. The liver is also responsible fore producing cholesterol. It produces about 80% of the cholesterol in your body. Function of gall bladder The function of the gallbladder is to store bile and concentrate. Bile is a digestive liquid continually secreted by the liver. The bile emulsifies fats and neutralizes acids in partly digested food. A muscular valve in the common bile duct opens, and the bile flows from the gallbladder into the cystic duct, along the common bile duct, and into the duodenum (part of the small intestine). Function of duodenum The duodenum is largely responsible for the breakdown of food in the small intestine. Brunner's glands, which secrete mucus, are found in the duodenum. The duodenum wall is composed of a very thin layer of cells that form the muscularis mucosae. The duodenum is almost entirely retroperitoneal. The pH in the duodenum is approximately six. It also regulates the rate of emptying of the stomach via hormonal pathways. Function of pancreas The pancreas is a small organ located near the lower part of the stomach and the beginning of the small intestine. This organ has two main functions. It functions as an exocrine organ by producing digestive enzymes, and as an endocrine organ by producing hormones, with insulin being the most important hormone produced by the pancreas. The pancreas secretes its digestive enzymes, through a system of ducts into the digestive tract, while it secretes its variety of hormones directly into the bloodstream. Abnormal pancreatic function can lead to pancreatitis or diabetes mellitus. Function of cystic duct Bile can flow in both directions between the gallbladder and the common hepatic duct and the (common) bile duct. In this way, bile is stored in the gallbladder in between meal times and released after a fatty meal. Function of transverse colon

The large intestine comes after the small intestine in the digestive tract and measures approximately 1.5 meters in length. Although there are differences in the large intestine between different organisms, the large intestine is mainly responsible for storing waste, reclaiming water, maintaining the water balance, and absorbing some vitamins, such as vitamin K.