bile


bile

Greenish-yellow liver secretion passed to the gallbladder for concentration, storage, or transport into the duodenum for fat digestion. Bile contains bile acids and salts, cholesterol, and electrolyte chemicals that keep it slightly acidic. In the intestine, products of the acids and salts emulsify fat and reduce its surface tension to prepare it for the action of pancreatic and intestinal fat-splitting enzymes.

This entry comes from Encyclopædia Britannica Concise.
For the full entry on bile, visit Britannica.com.

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