bile /bīl/ [L, bilis] , a bitter, yellow-green, viscid alkaline fluid secreted by the liver. Stored in the gallbladder, bile receives its color from the presence of bile pigments such as bilirubin. Bile passes from the gallbladder through the common bile duct in response to the cholecystokinin (CCK) produced in the duodenum in the presence of a fatty meal. Bile emulsifies these fats (breaks them into smaller particles and lowers the surface tension), preparing them for further digestion and absorption in the small intestine. Any interference in the flow of bile will result in the presence of unabsorbed fat in the feces and in jaundice. Also called gall. See also biliary obstruction, jaundice. −biliary, adj.
