The gallbladder is a small pear-shaped sac on the underside of the liver. It stores and concentrates bile made by the liver and releases it through the cystic duct and common bile duct into the duodenum when fatty food arrives. The cystic artery, a branch of the right hepatic artery, supplies it.
| Location | Under the right lobe of the liver, at the junction of the right costal margin and the lateral edge of the rectus abdominis. |
|---|---|
| Structure | Fundus, body, infundibulum and neck; cystic duct with the spiral valve. |
| Function | Stores, concentrates and releases bile. |
| Blood supply | Cystic artery, usually from the right hepatic artery. |
| Innervation | Celiac plexus and vagus nerve; referred pain to the right shoulder via the phrenic nerve. |
3D model: BodyParts3D (CC BY 4.0), adult male reference anatomy. Highlighted structure shown with nearby bones for context.
The cystic duct, common hepatic duct and inferior edge of the liver form the hepatobiliary triangle (Calot triangle), an important surgical landmark.
It stores and concentrates bile and releases it into the duodenum to help digest fat.
Yes. The liver continues to deliver bile directly to the intestine.
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