Bile

Bile is a thick alkaline fluid that is secreted by the liver and stored in the gall bladder.

Bile is ejected into the duodenum via the common bile duct, that is - it does not flow continuousl,y but is released at intervals.

Bile may vary in colour (e.g. yellow, green, brown) according to the proportions of bile pigments. Leithin, cholesterol and bile salts are also present in bile.

What it does:

1. Bile salts help to emulsify fats in the duodenum so that they can be more readily broken-down by pancreatic lipase into fatty acids and glycerol.
2. Bile salts also form compounds with fatty acids.
3. Bile also helps to stimulate peristalsis in the duodenum.