Bile

Bile is a mix of enzymes produced in the liver which assists the digestion of fat.
In normal humans, bile is stored and concentrated in the gallbladder, where it released through the common bile duct into the duodenum when digested fat enters it. However, this concentration of the bile often leads to gallstones later in life.
In a patient who has had a cholecystectomy, bile is continuously produced by the liver and is released in a steady flow into the duodenum. This can lead to diarrhea in some patients, but most patients merely digest the bile along with other food.
Too much bile in the digestive system can lead to severe explosive diarrhea. This must be treated with drugs that suppress bile production.
Although bile is not dangerous to the digestive tract, if it's accidentally released into the body it will quickly dissolve organs and muscle tissue. This can be one of the major complications of a gallstone blocking the bile duct, which can lead to rupture of the gallbladder.
Bile at Wikipedia
Category:Digestion
Category:Physiology