Final answer:
The liver produces bile for lipid digestion and acidity neutralization, the gallbladder stores and releases bile, and the pancreas creates digestive enzymes and bicarbonate for chemical digestion in the duodenum.
Step-by-step explanation:
The liver, gallbladder, and pancreas are critical accessory organs in the digestion process. The liver's main role in digestion is to produce bile, which helps emulsify and digest lipids. Bile also plays a part in neutralizing the food coming from the acidic environment of the stomach. The gallbladder serves to store, concentrate, and when needed, release bile into the small intestine.
These organs work in harmony, with the pancreas and gallbladder responding to hormonal signals such as secretin and cholecystokinin (CCK) during the intestinal phase. Secretin stimulates the pancreas to produce an alkaline bicarbonate solution, which neutralizes the acidic chyme, while CCK causes the gallbladder to release bile and the pancreas to secrete its digestive juices. Together, these processes ensure efficient digestion and absorption of nutrients.