dr.atif
Forum Newbie
Topics: 4
Posts: 12
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what is the function of bile? 
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| Ahab
Forum Elite
Topics: 9
Posts: 228
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Emulsifies fats so that they can be acted upon by lipases.
Picture a bottle of oil and vinegar which dont mix due to one being lipid and the other being water soluble. Now imagine that these lipases can only act at the point of interaction between the two (must be physically in contact with the fat to act) In this case only a little fat breakdown can occur.
However if you place an emulsifying agent in this bottle of oil and vinegar and shake it will mix together without separating out after settling. Now the lipases that were in the vinegar are fully mixed with the oil and have a larger surface area to act yielding more digestion in shorter time.
Lack of bile salts cause steatorrhoea, big bulky foul smelling floating feces due to the v. high fat content present.
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| Renegade
Forum Elite
Topics: 18
Posts: 171
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Never forget its function as gastric acid neutralizer. That thing has high pH, which is important to explain why bile in stomach (let alone esophagus) has such dire consequences.
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«The desire to take medicine is perhaps the greatest feature which distinguishes man from animals.» W. Osler
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