gallbladder

Question 1

small, pear-shaped organ located under the liver in the upper right part of the abdomen. It is about 7 to 10 cm (2.7 to 3.9 inches) long and up to 5 cm (2 inches) wide at its widest point.

Answer 1

The gallbladder

Question 2

What is the main function of the gallbladder?

Answer 2

The gallbladder’s main function is to store bile, a fluid produced by the liver that helps digest fats. Bile is made of cholesterol, bilirubin, and bile salts.

Question 3

How does the gallbladder aid in digestion?

Answer 3

The gallbladder stores bile produced by the liver. When eating begins, the gallbladder contracts, releasing bile into the common bile duct, which then carries it to the small intestine to help digest fats.

Question 4

What happens in the gallbladder before eating?

Answer 4

Before Eating: The gallbladder is full of bile.

Question 5

What happens in the gallbladder after eating?

Answer 5

When Eating Begins: The gallbladder contracts, pushing bile through the biliary tract into the common bile duct and into the small intestine.

Question 6

a pebble-like object made from bile material that develops in the gallbladder or bile ducts. They can vary in size from small grains to large golf balls and may cause pain, nausea, or inflammation.

Answer 6

A gallstone

Question 7

cholecystitis

Answer 7

inflammation of the gallbladder, often caused by a gallstone blocking bile from exiting the gallbladder. It results in pain, fever, and inflammation, and typically requires surgery.

Question 8

occurs when a gallstone blocks the pancreatic duct, leading to inflammation of the pancreas. The blockage happens before the bile and pancreatic juices drain into the small intestine.

Answer 8

Gallstone pancreatitis

Question 9

a rare condition that may cause pain in the right upper abdomen. However, this pain is more often due to other conditions.

Answer 9

gallbladder cancer

Question 10

What are the signs or symptoms of a gallbladder problem?

Answer 10

Symptoms may include:

Upper right abdominal pain
Pain after eating fatty meals
Jaundice (yellowing of skin and eyes)
Nausea and vomiting
Fever and chills
Light-brown pee or light-colored poop

Question 11

a surgical procedure to remove the gallbladder. After removal, bile flows directly from the bile ducts into the digestive system, bypassing the gallbladder.

Answer 11

a cholecystectomy

Question 12

Is the gallbladder essential for survival?

Answer 12

The gallbladder is not an essential organ. Even after removal, bile still flows from the liver directly into the small intestine to aid in digestion.