Bile

Bile is a fluid made by the liver and released into the small intestine. Its bile salts help disperse dietary fats so digestive enzymes can act on them.

Bile salts: Amphipathic molecules in bile that disperse fats into small droplets and aid their absorption. They emulsify dietary fats and help form micelles in the intestine.
Cholesterol: A lipid used in animal cell membranes and as a precursor for steroid hormones and bile acids. The liver uses cholesterol to make bile acids, and bile also carries cholesterol for excretion.
Fat digestion: The breakdown of dietary fats into molecules that the intestine can absorb. Bile salts disperse fats, enabling pancreatic enzymes to digest them efficiently.
Gastric juice: The acidic digestive secretion produced by the stomach, containing hydrochloric acid and enzymes. Unlike bile, it is acidic and begins digestion in the stomach.
Gallbladder: A small organ beneath the liver that stores and concentrates bile between meals. It releases concentrated bile into the intestine after a meal.
Bile acids: Steroid-derived molecules made in the liver from cholesterol that aid fat digestion and absorption. They are the precursors of the bile salts that perform bile’s emulsifying work.
Micelle: A small aggregate of amphipathic molecules that can carry poorly water-soluble substances through watery surroundings. Bile-salt micelles transport products of fat digestion toward intestinal cells.
Pancreatic juice: A secretion containing digestive enzymes and bicarbonate, delivered from the pancreas into the small intestine. It supplies enzymes that digest fats, whereas bile mainly helps disperse them.
Cholecystokinin: A hormone released by the small intestine in response to fats and proteins in a meal. It prompts gallbladder contraction and bile release.
Phosphatidylcholine: A phospholipid found in cell membranes and secretions, including bile. It works alongside bile salts to keep lipids dispersed in bile.

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