Functions of the gallbladder

Functions of the gallbladder

The gallbladder is a reservoir for bile. During fasting, the resistance to flow through the sphincter of Oddi is high, and bile excreted by the liver is diverted to the gallbladder. After feeding, the resistance to flow through the sphincter is reduced, the gallbladder contracts and bile enters the duodenum. The motor responses of the biliary tract are in part a ff ected by the hormone cholecystokinin. An additional function of the gallbladder is the concentration of bile by 5–10 times by active absorption of water, sodium chloride and bicarbonate via the mucous membrane. The gallbladder mucosa also secretes approximately 20 /uni00A0 mL of mucus per day . If the cystic duct is completely obstructed in an otherwise healthy gallbladder, a mucocele may develop as a result of ongoing mucus secretion. Fred Bates Lund , 1865–1950, surgeon, Boston, MA, USA. The node was also named after the Italian anatomist and physician who first identified the node around 1787. The Mercedes-Benz sign takes its name from the insignia on the bonnet of a Mercedes-Benz car -

Figure 71.4 Plain radiograph showing radio-opaque stones with the centre containing radiolucent gas in a triradiate or biradiate /f_i ssure (‘Mercedes-Benz’ or ‘seagull’ sign).