Does the liver secrete bile?

Bile is produced by stem cells and is continuously secreted in the body. Bile can promote the digestion and decomposition of fat for us. The amount of bile produced is generally related to the body's protein intake. A normal person's body secretes about one liter of bile per day.

Bile: A secretion produced by liver cells. Because bile secretion is continuous, during the non-digestive period, bile is transferred to the gallbladder through the hepatic duct for storage; during the digestive period, bile can be discharged directly from the liver and gallbladder into the duodenum in large quantities, promoting the digestion and decomposition of fat and the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins; bile can neutralize part of the gastric acid in the duodenum.

Bile is composed of bile salts, bile pigments, cholesterol, lecithin, potassium, sodium, calcium, etc., but there is no digestive enzyme in bile. Eating or having food in the digestive tract can cause increased bile secretion. The daily bile secretion of an adult is about 800~1000ml. High-protein foods can increase bile secretion.

A bitter, yellow-green liquid secreted by the liver. Part of it enters the gallbladder first, and the other part is directly discharged into the intestinal cavity. After being concentrated and stored, it is entered into the intestinal cavity when eating. It plays an important role in fat absorption and digestion. One of the human body's fine substances, the essence stored in the gallbladder is formed by the excess qi of the liver. It can be excreted downward and injected into the intestines, helping the digestion of food. It is an important condition for the normal digestion and absorption function of the spleen and stomach.

A yellow, green, or brown alkaline fluid secreted by the liver and stored in the gall bladder. When food enters, the duodenum secretes hormones, causing the gallbladder to contract, causing bile to flow through the bile duct into the intestine. Bile is composed of bile salts (from digesting fats) and bilirubin, a breakdown product of hemoglobin.

A thick, bitter colored fluid secreted by liver cells, ranging in color from golden yellow to dark green, depending on the type and concentration of bile pigments it contains. Hepatic bile is slightly alkaline, while bile in the gallbladder becomes concentrated and slightly acidic due to the absorption of water and bicarbonate. The amount of bile produced is related to protein intake, and adults secrete about 1 liter per day. The main components of bile, in addition to water, are bile salts, cholesterol, bile pigments, heparin and various inorganic salts. Bile does not contain digestive enzymes; its digestive function mainly depends on bile salts. Bile salt molecules have one end that is hydrophilic and the other end that is lipophilic, which can disperse large chunks of fat into many small fat particles. This is called emulsification. Bile salts can also activate pancreatic lipase. It can also combine with fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins to form water-soluble complexes to promote the absorption of these substances. The bile pigments in bile are the products of hemoglobin decomposition, including bilirubin and its oxide, biliverdin.