Which organ stores bile?

• A. Liver
• B. Pancreas
• C. Stomach
• D. Gallbladder

Answer: (D)

Bile is produced by the liver and stored and concentrated in the gallbladder. This storage allows bile to be released in a controlled way when needed for digestion, especially after fatty meals. When fat enters the small intestine, the hormone cholecystokinin signals the gallbladder to contract and release bile through the common bile duct into the duodenum to emulsify fats. The liver continually produces bile but does not store it, and the pancreas and stomach have other roles (pancreas makes digestive enzymes and bicarbonate; stomach stores and churns food). Thus, the organ that stores bile is the gallbladder.