The gallbladder is a hollow, pear-shaped organ that is part of the digestive system and is located in the abdomen under the right lobe of the liver. The main function of the gallbladder is to store bile for the digestion of food. The gallbladder therefore belongs to the bile ducts and is connected to the main bile duct by the cystic duct. The gallbladder is composed of 3 parts: the fundus at the anterior end, the body and the neck at the posterior end.

The gallbladder stores and concentrates the bile produced by the liver until it is needed for digestion. It thus allows, in addition to the normal production of the liver, to cope with a large or particularly fatty diet. Bile is composed of mucus, bile pigments, bile salts, cholesterol and mineral salts (calcium). The body can therefore function without the gallbladder.