AQA · GCSE · Biology
Course version: 8461 · Version from Sept 2018
Bile is made in the liver and stored in the gall bladder.
Full specification wording
The human digestive system: Bile is made in the liver and stored in the gall bladder.
Bile is a digestive fluid produced by liver cells and then held in the gall bladder before release.
Checked against the AQA 8461 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 14 of 25
- 4 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
Bile is a digestive fluid produced by liver cells and then held in the gall bladder before release. Liver cells continuously secrete bile, which travels along bile ducts to the gall bladder, a small muscular sac under the liver. During digestion, especially when fatty food enters the small intestine, the gall bladder contracts and bile flows through the bile duct into the duodenum. Bile is not an enzyme; it does not chemically digest nutrients. Instead it creates alkaline conditions and physically disperses fat. Knowing the site of production and the site of storage prevents confusion with enzymes such as lipase, which are made in the pancreas and small intestine. A useful memory link is that the liver makes bile and the gall bladder stores it, ready for release into the small intestine.
What earns the marks
- Bile is produced by the liver, not by the gall bladder or pancreas.
- The gall bladder stores bile and releases it into the small intestine.
- Bile passes from the liver to the gall bladder before entering the duodenum.
- Bile is not an enzyme and does not chemically break down fat.
- Release of bile is linked to the presence of fatty food in the digestive tract.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Saying bile is made in the gall bladder.
Put it right by stating that the liver makes bile and the gall bladder only stores it.
Saying bile is an enzyme that digests fat.
Put it right by stating that bile emulsifies fat and neutralises acid, while lipase digests fat.
Saying bile is stored in the liver.
Put it right by stating that bile is made in the liver and stored in the gall bladder.
Exam tips
- Use the precise pair of terms: liver for production and gall bladder for storage.
- Link the organ to its role in the small intestine rather than describing bile as a general digestive juice.
- If asked to name the organ, write the full name rather than an abbreviation.
Try the lesson
The start of the The human digestive system: Bile is made in the liver and stored in the gall bladder. lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
In which organ is bile made?
Listen
Bile is a digestive fluid produced by liver cells and then held in the gall bladder before release. Liver cells continuously secrete bile, which travels along bile ducts to the gall bladder, a small muscular sac under the liver. During digestion, especially when fatty food enters the small intestine, the gall bladder contracts and bile flows through the bile duct into the duodenum. Bile is not an enzyme; it does not chemically digest nutrients. Instead it creates alkaline conditions and physically disperses fat. Knowing the site of production and the site of storage prevents confusion with enzymes such as lipase, which are made in the pancreas and small intestine. A useful memory link is that the liver makes bile and the gall bladder stores it, ready for release into the small intestine. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Bile is produced by the liver, not by the gall bladder or pancreas. The gall bladder stores bile and releases it into the small intestine. Bile passes from the liver to the gall bladder before entering the duodenum. Bile is not an enzyme and does not chemically break down fat. A common slip: Saying bile is made in the gall bladder. Instead, stating that the liver makes bile and the gall bladder only stores it. Exam tip: Use the precise pair of terms: liver for production and gall bladder for storage.
See it
Put it in order
Put these steps in the order they happen.
- 1. Gall bladder stores bile
- 2. Bile travels along bile ducts
- 3. Liver makes bile
- 4. Bile flows through the bile duct into the duodenum
- 5. Gall bladder contracts
- 6. Fatty food enters the small intestine
Key words
Say what each word means before you turn the card.
Bile
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Liver
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Gall bladder
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Bile ducts
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
See every definition
- Bile
- A digestive fluid made in the liver and stored in the gall bladder before release.
- Liver
- The organ that makes bile, which travels along bile ducts to the gall bladder.
- Gall bladder
- A small muscular sac under the liver that stores bile and releases it into the small intestine.
- Bile ducts
- Tubes along which bile travels from the liver to the gall bladder.
Label the diagram
Some boxes have lost their names. Pick the right name for each number.
1Box 1
2Box 2
3Box 3
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