Bile duct
Digestive system diagram showing the bile duct
An intraoperative cholangiogram, which is an X-Ray of the bile ducts during a laprascopic cholecystectomy
Dorlands/Elsevier	d_29/12313926

A bile duct is any of a number of long tube-like structures that carry bile. Image File history File links Digestive_system_showing_bile_duct. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (800x696, 67 KB) Summary X-ray of some of my organs during a laprasopic cholecystectomy. ... Elseviers logo. ... Bile (or gall) is a bitter, yellow or green alkaline fluid secreted by hepatocytes from the liver of most vertebrates. ...

Bile, required for the digestion of food, is excreted by the liver into passages that carry bile toward the hepatic duct, which joins with the cystic duct (carrying bile to and from the gallbladder) to form the common bile duct, which opens into the intestine. For the industrial process, see anaerobic digestion. ... The liver is an organ present in vertebrates and some other animals. ... ... The cystic duct is the short (usually around a centimetre or so) duct that joins the gall bladder to the common bile duct. ... The gallbladder (or cholecyst, sometimes gall bladder) is a pear-shaped organ that stores about 50 ml of bile (or gall) until the body needs it for digestion. ... Bile, which is synthesized in the liver, is carried to the right and left hepatic ducts, which converge to form the common hepatic duct. ... In anatomy, the intestine is the segment of the alimentary canal extending from the stomach to the anus and, in humans and other mammals, consists of two segments, the small intestine and the large intestine (or colon). ...

The biliary tree (see below) is the whole network of various sized ducts branching through the liver.

The path is as follows: Bile canaliculi → canals of Hering → bile ductules (in portal tracts) → intrahepatic bile ducts → left and right hepatic ducts merge to form → common hepatic duct exits liver and joins → cystic duct (from gall bladder) forming → common bile duct → joins with pancreatic duct → forming ampulla of Vater → enters duodenum Bile canaliculus (plural:Bile canaliculi) is a thin tube that collects bile secreted by hepatocytes. ... The common hepatic duct is the duct formed by the convergence of the right hepatic duct (which drains bile from the right functional lobe of the liver) and the left hepatic duct (which drains bile from the left functional lobe of the liver). ... The common hepatic duct is the duct formed by the junction of the right hepatic duct (which drains bile from the right functional lobe of the liver) and the left hepatic duct (which drains bile from the left functional lobe of the liver). ... The cystic duct is the short (usually around a centimetre or so) duct that joins the gall bladder to the common bile duct. ... The gallbladder (or cholecyst) is a pear-shaped organ that stores bile (or gall) until the body needs it for digestion. ... Bile, which is synthesized in the liver, is carried to the right and left hepatic ducts, which converge to form the common hepatic duct. ... A duct joining the pancreas to the bile duct to supply pancreatic juice which aid in digestion provided by the exocrine pancreas. ... The Ampulla of Vater is the part of the duodenum where the common bile duct empties into the second part of the duodenum, so named because it has the appearance of an ampulla. ... In anatomy of the digestive system, the duodenum is a hollow jointed tube connecting the stomach to the jejunum. ...

Common bile duct

The top half of the common bile duct is associated with the liver, while the bottom half of the common bile duct is associated with the pancreas, through which it passes on its way to the intestine. It opens in the part of the intestine called the duodenum into a structure called the ampulla of Vater. The pancreas is a gland organ in the digestive and endocrine systems of vertebrates[2]. It is both exocrine (secreting pancreatic juice containing digestive enzymes) and endocrine (producing several important hormones, including insulin, glucagon, and somatostatin). ... In anatomy of the digestive system, the duodenum is a hollow jointed tube connecting the stomach to the jejunum. ... The Ampulla of Vater is the part of the duodenum where the common bile duct empties into the second part of the duodenum, so named because it has the appearance of an ampulla. ...

Pathology

Blockage of the bile duct by a cancer, gallstones, or scarring from injury prevents the bile from being transported to the intestine and the active ingredient in the bile (bilirubin) instead accumulates in the blood. This condition is called jaundice and the skin and eyes become yellow from the bilirubin in the blood. This condition also causes severe itchiness from the bilirubin deposited in the tissues. In certain types of jaundice, the urine will be noticeably darker, and the stools will be much paler than usual. This is caused by the bilirubin all going to the bloodstream and being filtered into the urine by the kidneys, instead of some being lost in the stools through the ampulla of Vater. Cancer is a class of diseases or disorders characterized by uncontrolled division of cells and the ability of these to spread, either by direct growth into adjacent tissue through invasion, or by implantation into distant sites by metastasis (where cancer cells are transported through the bloodstream or lymphatic system). ... Bilirubin is a yellow breakdown product of normal heme catabolism. ... Human blood smear: a - erythrocytes; b - neutrophil; c - eosinophil; d - lymphocyte. ... Jaundice, also known as icterus (attributive adjective: icteric), is a yellowing of the skin, conjunctiva (a clear covering over the sclera, or whites of the eyes) and mucous membranes caused by hyperbilirubinemia (increased levels of bilirubin in red blooded animals). ... Beyond overall skin structure, refer below to: See-also. ... This article refers to the sight organ. ...

Jaundice is commonly caused by conditions such as pancreatic cancer, which causes blockage of the bile duct passing through the cancerous portion of the pancreas; cholangiocarcinoma, cancer of the bile ducts; blockage by a stone in patients with gallstones; and from scarring after injury to the bile duct during gallbladder removal. Jaundice, also known as icterus (attributive adjective: icteric), is a yellowing of the skin, conjunctiva (a clear covering over the sclera, or whites of the eyes) and mucous membranes caused by hyperbilirubinemia (increased levels of bilirubin in red blooded animals). ... Pancreatic cancer is a malignant tumour within the pancreatic gland. ... // [edit] Introduction Cholangiocarcinoma is an adenocarcinoma of the biliary duct system. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Additional images

Section across portal canal of pig. X 250. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

External links

• The Johns Hopkins Gall Bladder & Bile Duct Cancer Web page
• bile+duct at eMedicine Dictionary
• MeSH Bile+Ducts