Final answer:
false. The pancreas does not produce bile; it produces hormones and digestive enzymes. Bile is produced by the liver, and digestion issues after gallbladder removal are due to the absence of bile storage and concentration.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement is false; the pancreas does not produce bile. The pancreas is indeed an important gland in the body that has a dual function: it acts as an endocrine gland by secreting hormones such as insulin and glucagon, and it also serves as an exocrine gland by producing digestive enzymes and bicarbonate. On the other hand, bile is produced by the liver, not the pancreas. Bile assists in the digestion and absorption of lipids, and while it does contain waste products that the liver has processed, its primary function is to emulsify lipids in the digestive tract.
People who have their gallbladder removed might experience digestive problems after eating high-fat meals because the gallbladder's function is to store and concentrate bile produced by the liver. Without a gallbladder, bile flows directly from the liver into the small intestine, which may not be sufficient to properly emulsify large amounts of fat at once. Additionally, the continuous trickle of bile can result in less efficient fat digestion.