Bile ( or
gall) is a bitter, greenish-yellow
alkaline fluid secreted by the
liver of many
vertebrates. It is stored in the
gall bladder[?] between meals and upon eating is discharged into the
duodenum where it aids the process of
digestion, especially of
fats. Besides its digestive function, bile serves as the route of excretion for
hemoglobin breakdown products (
bilirubin) which give bile its colour. Bile also contains
cholesterol, which occasionally accretes into lumps in the gall bladder, forming
gallstones[?]
Yellow and black bile were two of the four vital fluids or humours of ancient and medieval medicine; for example, melancholia was believed to be caused by a bodily surplus of black bile.
Bile is also another name for
Belenus, a god in
Brythonic mythology.
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