Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 28, 2026

Extrahepatic Bile Duct and Gall Bladder Dissection in Nine-Day-Old Mouse Neonates
Published on: August 23, 2022
Lithogenesis and bile metabolism
Stephanie Lambou-Gianoukos1, Stephen J Heller
1Department of Medicine, Tufts Medical Center, 800 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
Abstract:
Gallstone disease exacts a considerable financial and social burden worldwide leading to frequent physician visits and hospitalizations. Based on their composition, gallstones are categorized as cholesterol, black pigment, and brown pigment, with each category having a unique structural, epidemiologic, and risk factor profile. Cholesterol crystal formation requires the presence of one or more of the following: (a) cholesterol supersaturation, (b) accelerated nucleation, or (c) gallbladder hypomotility/bile stasis. Some risk factors for cholesterol stones include age, gender, genetics, obesity, rapid weight loss, and ileal disease. Generally, pigment stones are formed by the precipitation of bilirubin in bile, with black stones associated with chronic hemolytic states, cirrhosis, Gilbert syndrome, or cystic fibrosis, and brown stones associated with chronic bacterial or parasitic infections.
Related Concept Videos
Bile
Bile is released when dietary fats enter...
Hepatic Drug Excretion: Influencing Factors
Liver Physiology
Metabolic Regulation:
The liver is the central organ involved in regulating blood composition. It stabilizes blood glucose levels, maintaining them within the range of 70–110 mg/dL. When these levels drop, the liver breaks down glycogen reserves and releases glucose into the bloodstream. It can also...
Hepatic Drug Excretion: Enterohepatic Cycling
Post-release drugs and metabolites can be reabsorbed into the body from the intestine. For conjugated metabolites like glucuronides, reabsorption requires enzymatic hydrolysis by intestinal microflora. This...
Drug Biotransformation: Overview
Drug Biotransformation: Overview

