biliary
Meaning of biliary: Biliary describes structures involved in producing, storing, or transporting bile, including the liver, gallbladder, and the ducts connecting them to the intestine.
Definition of biliary
Biliary is a term describing structures and processes related to bile, the fluid produced by the liver that assists in the digestion and absorption of dietary fat. The biliary system includes the liver, which produces bile, the gallbladder, which stores and concentrates it between meals, and a network of ducts that carry bile from the liver and gallbladder into the small intestine.
Bile contains substances including bile acids, cholesterol, and bilirubin, a breakdown product of old red blood cells, and biliary ducts allow this fluid to reach the digestive tract in a controlled manner, particularly after a meal containing fat, when the gallbladder contracts and releases stored bile.
A blockage anywhere within the biliary system, such as from a gallstone lodged in a duct, can prevent bile from reaching the intestine normally, causing bile components to build up in the blood instead, which can produce jaundice, a yellowing of the skin and eyes.
Used in a sentence
Imaging was obtained to evaluate the biliary system after laboratory testing showed an elevated bilirubin level.
Good to know
A biliary blockage prevents bile from reaching the intestine and can cause bilirubin to accumulate in the blood, producing jaundice even though the liver itself may be functioning normally.
Word origin
Where “biliary” comes from
Formed from Latin bilis, meaning bile.