Bile is an isotonic fluid despite the presence of high concentrations of individual ions. This is because the micelles formed within bile act to bind ions and decrease their osmotic activity.
On average, bile is composed of:
With passage through the biliary tree and gallbladder, water and bicarbonate ions are reabsorbed. Despite bicarbonate reabsorption, the pH of bile on entering the duodenum is on average greater than 7.6. This facilitates neutralization of gastric acidity.
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