Question

State the function of bile.

Answer 1

Hint: Bile juice is secreted from the liver and stored in the gallbladder. Its main function is in digestion and emulsification of fats.

Complete answer:
To solve this question, we need to know more about bile and its function.
> Bile is a greenish yellow liquid which is secreted from the liver and concentrated in the gallbladder. It consists of bilirubin, lecithin, and cholesterol .The main function of bile is the emulsification of fats.
Functions of bile:
> Bile juice also contains bile salts. These bile salts help in the breakdown of fats into fatty acids so that it becomes easier for the body to digest and absorb fats.
> They act as a transport medium and carry the mono-glycerides and fatty acids.
> The liver acts as a detoxifying agent. It flushes the drugs like penicillin, sulphonamides and erythromycin into the bile from where these drugs are excreted out from the body.
> The excess calcium in the body is also dissolved in the bile and excreted out.
> Excess cholesterol in the body is excreted through bile.
> Fat digestion is prevented in the absence of bile. Therefore, the presence of bile is a prerequisite for fat digestion.
> The end product of breakdown of the red blood cells is bilirubin which is again flushed out of the body along with bile.

Note: Jaundice is caused when there is an excess of bilirubin inside the body. The skin turns yellowish in colour due to the accumulation of bilirubin.