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Gallbladder

By

The Manual's Editorial Staff

Reviewed/Revised Apr 2022 | Modified Sep 2022
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What is the gallbladder?

Your gallbladder is a small sac located on the right side of your belly just below your ribs. It's the organ where your body stores bile before it goes into your intestine. Bile is a digestive fluid that helps break down fats in food.

View of the Liver and Gallbladder

View of the Liver and Gallbladder

What does the gallbladder do?

  • When you eat something, your body signals the gallbladder to contract and push bile into your intestines

Because bile can also flow directly from your liver into your intestines, you can live without your gallbladder.

What is bile?

Bile is a thick greenish-yellow digestive fluid. Bile flows through tubes in your liver called bile ducts. Then bile flows out of your liver through a large bile duct. Bile can go directly into your intestines or into your gallbladder to be stored.

Bile in your intestines helps you absorb the fats that you eat.

What can go wrong with the gallbladder?

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