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Definition of Gallbladder

Gallbladder: A pear-shaped organ just below the liver that stores the bile secreted by the liver. During a fatty meal, the gallbladder contracts, delivering the bile through the bile ducts into the intestines to help with digestion. Abnormal composition of bile leads to formation of gallstones, a process termed cholelithiasis. The gallstones cause cholecystitis, inflammation of the gallbladder.

Illustration of Gallstones forming in the Gallbladder
Source: MedTerms™ Medical Dictionary
http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=3536
Last Editorial Review: 3/2/2004


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