What Is Bile?

By albert

Reviewed: Dr. Gromatzky

Article Sources

Medical Expert

More About Us

Bile is a yellow-green fluid produced in the liver for the purpose of digestion of fats. After production, bile is stored in the gall bladder, from where it flows into the digestive system. An average of 600 milliliters of bile is produced in an adult human body per day.

Besides its role as a digestive fluid, bile also serves as a medium for the transportation of waste from the bloodstream for excretion. In this respect, the bloodstream waste mixes with digesting food before further movement to the large intestines and expulsion as feces.

1. Components of Bile

Bile is a complex fluid, slightly alkaline at a pH of 7 to 8. It is composed of up to 95 percent water and 5 percent of other fluids and solid components. Bile salts are the main organic constituents of bile, hence the name bile. The salts are made from the breaking down of cholesterol in the liver.

The two main bile salts are chenodeoxycholic acid and cholic acid. Bile fluid also contains cholesterol, amino acids, bilirubin phospholipid, enzymes, steroids, vitamins, electrolytes such as sodium and bicarbonate, heavy metals, and porphyrins. The fluid may also contain chemicals from drugs, environmental toxins, and xenobiotics.