Bile Duct

A bile duct is any of a number of long tube-like structures that carry bile.

Bile, required for the digestion of food, is excreted by the liver into passages that carry bile toward the hepatic duct, which joins with the cystic duct (carrying bile to and from the gallbladder) to form the common bile duct, which opens into the intestine.

The biliary tree is the whole network of various sized ducts branching through the liver.


The path is as follows: Bile canaliculi ? Canals of Hering ? interlobular bile ducts ? intrahepatic bile ducts ? left and right hepatic ducts merge to form ? common hepatic duct exits liver and joins ? cystic duct (from gall bladder) forming ? common bile duct ? joins with pancreatic duct ? forming ampulla of Vater ? enters duodenum

The top half of the common bile duct is associated with the liver, while the bottom half of the common bile duct is associated with the pancreas, through which it passes on its way to the intestine. It opens in the part of the intestine called the duodenum into a structure called the ampulla of Vater.