Gallbladder

Gallbladder
Diagram of human gallbladder
The gallbladder sits beneath the liver
Details
Precursor	Foregut
System	Digestive system
Artery	Cystic artery
Vein	Cystic vein
Nerve	Celiac ganglia, vagus nerve[1]
Identifiers
Latin	vesica biliaris, vesica fellea
MeSH	D005704
TA98	A05.8.02.001
TA2	3081
FMA	7202
Anatomical terminology [edit on Wikidata]

In vertebrates, the gallbladder, also known as the cholecyst, is a small hollow organ where bile is stored and concentrated before it is released into the small intestine. In humans, the pear-shaped gallbladder lies beneath the liver, although the structure and position of the gallbladder can vary significantly among animal species. It receives bile, produced by the liver, via the common hepatic duct, and stores it. The bile is then released via the common bile duct into the duodenum, where the bile helps in the digestion of fats.

The gallbladder can be affected by gallstones, formed by material that cannot be dissolved – usually cholesterol or bilirubin, a product of hemoglobin breakdown. These may cause significant pain, particularly in the upper-right corner of the abdomen, and are often treated with removal of the gallbladder (called a cholecystectomy). Cholecystitis, inflammation of the gallbladder, has a wide range of causes, including result from the impaction of gallstones, infection, and autoimmune disease.