How does the gallbladder work?
The gallbladder is located right underneath the liver. This thin-walled, pear-shaped organ is about 7 to 10 centimeters (2.7 to 3.9 inches) long and up to 5 centimeters (2 inches) across at its widest point.
The gallbladder stores and concentrates bile from the liver. The bile is then released into the first section of the small intestine (the duodenum), where it helps your body to break down and absorb fats from food.
The cells of the liver produce about 800 to 1,000 milliliters (about 27 to 34 fluid ounces) of bile every day. Bile is a yellow, brownish or olive-green liquid that helps our body digest fats. The liver cells secrete the bile into small canals that lead to the common bile duct. From there, a smaller duct branches off and leads to the gallbladder. The common bile duct ends at the small intestine.