Final answer:
The gallbladder's primary function is to store and concentrate bile produced by the liver, then release it into the small intestine for fat digestion. The correct answer is a) Stores and concentrates bile.
Step-by-step explanation:
The physiology associated with the gallbladder involves several key functions, mainly related to digestion. The gallbladder is a small, pouch-like organ that stores and concentrates bile produced by the liver. Bile is crucial for digestion as it contains bile salts and phospholipids, which help emulsify large lipid globules into tiny droplets, thus aiding in their digestion and absorption in the small intestine.
When chyme, particularly containing fatty acids, enters the duodenum, the gallbladder responds by releasing this concentrated bile into the two-way cystic duct and hence into the small intestine to facilitate fat digestion.
The correct answer to the student's question is a) Stores and concentrates bile, which is its primary function. The gallbladder serves as an accessory organ to the digestive system. Although it does not produce digestive enzymes or insulin and is not directly involved in filtering blood, it plays a critical auxiliary role in the digestive process by releasing bile as needed for efficient digestion of fats following a meal.