bile

Brownish alkaline fluid produced by the liver. Bile is stored in the gall bladder and is intermittently released into the small intestine (the duodenum), which is part of the gut, in order to help digestion. Bile contains chemicals that emulsify fats. In other words it acts to disperse fat globules into tiny droplets, which speeds up their digestion.

Bile consists of bile salts, bile pigments, cholesterol, and lecithin. The bile salts assist in the breakdown and absorption of fats, while bile pigments are the breakdown products of old red blood cells, which are passed into the gut to be eliminated with the faeces.