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Gallstones are cholesterol crystals or pigment material that form in the gall bladder.
The gall bladder is a pouch that sits beside the liver and stores bile, which is a greeny-yellow fluid produced by the liver. During digestion, the gall bladder releases bile into the small intestine where it helps in dissolving fats. When there is too much of these bile components, they separate and form a solid. This process causes the formation of gallstones - also known as cholelithiasis. There are different types of gallstones, depending on what component of the bile has solidified.