Final answer:
The noncontracted gallbladder walls can be up to 3 mm thick, and changes in thickness may indicate specific gallbladder conditions. The gallbladder functions to store and concentrate bile, which aids in digestion, especially after the consumption of fatty foods.
Step-by-step explanation:
The noncontracted gallbladder walls can be up to 3 mm thick when measured using medical imaging, such as ultrasound. Changes to the wall thickness can indicate certain medical conditions affecting the gallbladder, such as cholecystitis or adenomyomatosis. Typically, the gallbladder is a muscular sac located beneath the liver that stores and concentrates bile, which is produced by the liver. This concentration occurs through the absorption of water and ions from the bile, making the bile up to 10-fold more concentrated than when it was produced by the liver. When stimulated, such as by the presence of fatty foods in the duodenum, the gallbladder contracts and releases bile into the duodenum to aid in the digestion process.