key term - Common hepatic duct

Definition

The common hepatic duct is a tube that carries bile from the liver and gallbladder into the small intestine. It forms from the union of the left and right hepatic ducts and joins with the cystic duct to form the common bile duct.

Related terms

Bile:

A digestive fluid produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder, crucial for breaking down fats in food.

Gallbladder:

A small, pear-shaped organ that stores bile produced by the liver until it is needed for digestion.

Small Intestine:

The part of the gastrointestinal tract where most of the digestion and absorption of nutrients takes place, receiving bile through the common bile duct