Final answer:
The liver produces bile that aids in the digestion and absorption of fats, while the gallbladder stores and concentrates bile for release into the small intestine. Bile salts are crucial for emulsifying fats, allowing the body to properly absorb nutrients. The liver also detoxifies harmful substances.
Step-by-step explanation:
Liver and Gallbladder Functions in Digestion
The liver is a vital organ that plays multiple roles in the human body, including the production and secretion of bile, a fluid essential for the digestion and absorption of lipids. Bile salts, produced by the liver from cholesterol, emulsify fats in the small intestine, which aids their digestion. Bile has a pH of 7.8–8.6 and gets concentrated in the gallbladder, from where it is secreted into the duodenum to assist in digesting and absorbing fats and neutralizing stomach acids.
The gallbladder is a small organ that assists the liver by storing bile and concentrating its bile salts. When food, specifically chyme containing fatty acids, enters the duodenum, the gallbladder releases bile to help in digesting the fats. This is crucial for the absorption of vitamins and fatty acids, and also for detoxifying substances ingested by the body.
The liver also plays a key role in the breakdown of toxic substances and most medicinal products, converting them into less toxic and more easily excretable forms. This detoxification process ensures that harmful compounds are removed safely from the body. The digestion of fats facilitated by liver and gallbladder is vital for overall nutrition and energy production in the human body.