What Is Bile ?
Bile is a fluid green or yellow in color and is secreted by the liver for helping in the process of digestion of fats. Bile is made of bile acids, bile salts and water and is produced by the liver. Hepatocytes is a type of liver cells that produces bile which is stored in gallbladder and released whenever is needed.
Functions Of Bile :
Bile is released from the gallbladder (storehouse) once you eat fatty foods which trigger the duodenum to produce cholecystokinin which in turn stimulates the gallbladder to release the stored-up bile.
Bile Performs Two Major Functions :
- Digestion Of Fats :
It helps in digestion by breaking up fats into fatty acids which can be easily absorbed by the body. Bile salts help in the breakdown of fat particles present in the food and also in the absorption of fat particles in the digestive tract. Bile salts are capable of converting lipids into micelles which can be absorbed easily by the intestinal mucosa.
- Excretion Of Bilirubin :
Bile liquid also contains waste products of hemoglobin during the breaking down process. One of them is bilirubin which is produced by red blood cells which is further sent down to the liver for recycling. Old red blood cells are regularly destroyed by the body and are replaced with fresh bilirubin rich in hemoglobin. Excess of bilirubin is excreted by the bile and it also deposits excess of cholesterol particles present in the food into the gastrointestinal tract which in turn is excreted along with other waste particles.
Bile Quantity :
Liver produces around 500 ml to one liter of bile each day in healthy adult. As the secreted bile moves through the duct several ions like water and salts get mixed with the bile expanding its volume. These ions also aids in neutralizing the stomach acid helping in the process of digestion. When the digested food (semisolid state) leaves the stomach it also carries diluted bile thus facilitating digestion.