Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
common bile duct
References
Images
Medical illustration showing the location and anatomy of the gallbladder and extrahepatic bile ducts within the human abdomen, with labeled structures including the liver, stomach, pancreas, pancreatic duct, common bile duct, cystic duct, hepatic ducts, duodenal papilla, large intestine, and small intestine. An anatomical illustration of the human pancreas shows its location near the stomach and intestines, a detailed cross-section highlighting ducts and the islet of Langerhans, and an inset of pancreatic tissue histology with labeled alpha, beta, and delta cells.
Britannica AI Icon

common bile duct

anatomy
Written by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last updated

Quick Summary

Medical illustration showing the location and anatomy of the gallbladder and extrahepatic bile ducts within the human abdomen, with labeled structures including the liver, stomach, pancreas, pancreatic duct, common bile duct, cystic duct, hepatic ducts, duodenal papilla, large intestine, and small intestine.
gallbladder; bile ducts The gallbladder and bile ducts in situ.

The common bile duct is a crucial part of the human digestive system, responsible for transporting bile from the liver and gallbladder to the small intestine. This duct is formed by the joining of the hepatic ducts from the liver and the cystic duct from the gallbladder. It then progresses through the head of the pancreas before emptying into the duodenum, the first section of the small intestine. The flow of bile through the common bile duct is regulated by the sphincter of Oddi. Bile itself is a fluid produced by the liver that aids in fat digestion. The gallbladder concentrates and stores this bile, releasing it when needed for digestion.123

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
5 Britannica Sources
  1. human digestive system - Anatomy
  2. bile
  3. gallbladder
  4. digestive system disease - Other biliary tract disorders
  5. digestive system disease - Gallstones

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.