Bile is a greenish-yellow fluid produced by the liver. It is stored in the gallbladder and released into the small intestine, where it aids digestion by breaking down fats into fatty acids.

Water is the main component of bile (about 95%). Bile also contains bile salts (the salt form of bile acids), cholesterol, phospholipids, bilirubin (a yellow-orange bile pigment produced by the breakdown of red blood cells that gives bile its characteristic color), and inorganic salts.

After listening to this AudioBrick, you should be able to:

Define bile, list its components as secreted from the liver, and explain how this differs after storage in the gallbladder.

Describe the endocrine mechanism stimulating gallbladder contraction and the secretion of bile into the small intestine.

Describe the amphipathic structure of bile salts and why this is important.

Describe the absorption of bile acids and salts in the small intestine and the enterohepatic circulation, and explain differences among handling of primary and secondary bile salts and bile acids.

Describe the cellular mechanisms for the recycling of bile salts.

You can also check out the original brick on Bile Secretion and Function from our Gastrointestinal collection, which is available for free.

Learn more about Rx Bricks by signing up for a free USMLE-Rx account: www.usmle-rx.com

You will get 5 days of full access to our Rx360+ program, including nearly 800 Rx Bricks.  After the 5-day period, you will still be able to access over 150 free bricks, including the entire collections for General Microbiology and Cellular and Molecular Biology.

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from our Musculoskeletal, Skin, and Connective Tissue collection, which is available for free.

Learn more about Rx Bricks by signing up for a free USMLE-Rx account: www.usmle-rx.com

You will get 5 days of full access to our Rx360+ program, including nearly 800 Rx Bricks.  After the 5-day period, you will still be able to access over 150 free bricks, including the entire collections for General Microbiology and Cellular and Molecular Biology.