Question

Which organ secretes the bile juice?

Answer 1

Hint: The organ where bile is stored and the organ from where it is produced, differs. Therefore, this has to be kept in mind while answering questions related to bile juice. Bile juice plays a key role in digestion.

Complete answer:
For proper maintenance of bile juice in the body, the functioning of the liver and gallbladder must be balanced. The bile is produced by the liver mainly in the hepatocytes and via bile ducts, it reaches the gallbladder. During this time, many important ions like bicarbonates are also being added.
It has to be kept in mind that bile juice is secreted from the liver (largest gland of the body) and is stored in the gallbladder. An adult human produces 400-800 ml of bile per day. Bile is a fluid, which consists of water, electrolytes, and other compounds such as bile acids, cholesterol, phospholipids, and bilirubin.
Bile is secreted- when the fully chewed food passes the alimentary canal when duodenum releases cholecystokinin (CSK), stimulation by acetylcholine or also by the secretion of gastrin and secretin.

Functions of the bile juice-
-It helps in the emulsification of fats and lipids.
-It helps in the digestion and solubilisation of fat-soluble vitamins- A, D, E, and K.
-It also helps in excretion of many toxic metals like zinc, mercury etc.
-Bile salts keep cholesterol in fluid form and don’t allow the formation of solid in the form of stones (gallstones.)

Note: The bile is stored in the gall bladder although the liver produces it. When the bile reaches the gallbladder from the liver it becomes much more concentrated than the bile produced in the liver because of the addition of ions, salts etc. Its primary function is the emulsification of fats so that it does not get settled in the other vessels or organs and create ailments. It also helps in neutralizing excess acid by creating a basic environment, maintains proper pH, kills various disease-causing microbes.