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Since bile increases the absorption of fats, it is an important part of the absorption of the fat-soluble substances, [10] such as the vitamins A, D, E, and K. [11] Besides its digestive function, bile serves also as the route of excretion for bilirubin, a byproduct of red blood cells recycled by the liver.
The function of the common bile duct is to allow bile to travel from the gallbladder to the small intestine, mixing with pancreatic digestive enzymes along the way. [4] One possible complication of choledocholithiasis is an infection of the bile ducts between the liver and the gallstone lodged in the common bile duct.
Bile acids comprise about 80% of the organic compounds in bile (others are phospholipids and cholesterol). [5] An increased secretion of bile acids produces an increase in bile flow. Bile acids facilitate digestion of dietary fats and oils. They serve as micelle-forming surfactants, which encapsulate nutrients, facilitating their absorption. [6]
Finally, the conjugated bile acids which remained un-ionized conjugated bile acids are passively absorbed. Venous blood from the ileum goes straight into the portal vein and then into the liver sinusoids. There, hepatocytes extract bile acids very efficiently, and little escapes the healthy liver into systemic circulation.
Bile is secreted into the duodenum of the small intestine via the common bile duct. It is produced in liver cells and stored in the gall bladder until release during a meal. Bile is formed of three elements: bile salts, bilirubin and cholesterol. Bilirubin is a waste product of the breakdown of hemoglobin.
The biliary tree (see below) is the whole network of various sized ducts branching through the liver.. The path is as follows: bile canaliculi → canals of Hering → interlobular bile ducts → intrahepatic bile ducts → left and right hepatic ducts merge to form → common hepatic duct exits liver and joins → cystic duct (from gall bladder) forming → common bile duct → joins with ...
The sphincter regulates the secretion of pancreatic juice and bile into the duodenum. [3] It also prevents reflux of duodenal contents into the ampulla of Vater. [4] By preventing reflux of the contents of the duodenum, the sphincter of Oddi prevents the accumulation of particulate matter and sludge in the bile ducts, reducing the risk of cholangitis.
Cholangiocytes act through bile-acid independent bile flow, which is driven by the active transport of electrolytes. In contrast, hepatocytes secrete bile through bile-acid dependent bile flow, which is coupled to canalicular secretion of bile acids via ATP-driven transporters. This results in passive transcellular and paracellular secretion of ...