Image SS21025699 (Human Gallbladder SEM)Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the surface of th

Image SS21025699 (Human Gallbladder SEM)

Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the surface of the gallbladder. Each of the small elevations on the wrinkled surface is an epithelial cell. 

The gallbladder is a pear-shaped mucosal sac that serves as a reservoir for the bile fluid produced in the liver. Bile is released into the stomach after ingestion, where it plays an important role in the digestion of fats. 

The bile emulsifies fats in partly digested food, thereby assisting their absorption. Bile consists primarily of water and bile salts, and also acts as a means of eliminating bilirubin, a product of hemoglobin metabolism, from the body.

Medicines and other “waste products” filtered out by the liver are also contained in the bile and are excreted in this way. 

The gallbladder can be affected by gallstones, formed by material that cannot be dissolved, usually cholesterol or bilirubin. These may cause significant pain, particularly in the upper-right corner of the abdomen.

Magnification is 140x at a size of 12x12cm.

Image above © Eye of Science / Science Source