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Gastrointestinal Tract -
Gallbladder Histology
Embryology - 5 Mar 2024 [Expand]
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Contents [hide]

1 Introduction
1.1 Lab Audio
2 Gallbladder Structure
2.1 Anatomy
2.2 Epithelium
2.3 Lamina Propria
2.4 Smooth Muscle Layer
2.5 Serosa/Adventitia
3 Gall Bladder Function
4 Histology Images
4.1 Development Histology
4.2 Adult Histology
5 References
6 Historic
7 External Links
8 Glossary Links

Introduction
This

Gallbladder transverse section historic

drawing.

section of notes gives an overview mainly of adult

gallbladder histology. Note that the term "gall
bladder" can also be used for this organ.

Page also provides further background

information for Medicine phase 1 Health
Maintenance B Hepatobiliary System 2
Practical Virtual Slides. This page content is not
part of the HMB practical class.

HMB: Pancreas Histology | Liver Histology |

Gallbladder Histology | Renal System
Histology

GIT Links: Introduction | Medicine Lecture | Science

Lecture | endoderm | mouth | oesophagus | stomach
| liver | gallbladder | Pancreas | intestine | mesentery |
tongue | taste | enteric nervous system | Stage 13 |
Stage 22 | gastrointestinal abnormalities | Movies |
Postnatal | milk | tooth | salivary gland | BGD Lecture
| BGD Practical | GIT Terms |
Category:Gastrointestinal Tract
GIT Histology Links: Upper GIT | Salivary
Gland | Smooth Muscle Histology | Liver |
Gallbladder | Pancreas | Colon | Histology
Stains | Histology | GIT Development

Historic Embryology - [Expand]

Gastrointestinal Tract

Lab Audio

Wednesday 24 August 2011 3-3:30 pm

G2G4.

Links: listen 1 | download 1 | listen 2 | download 2

| listen 3 | download 3 | listen 4 | download 4 |
Gall Bladder Histology Background

Gallbladder Structure

Anatomy
Pear-shaped
distensible sac (about 50ml volume)
Attached to posterioinferior surface of liver
Embryonic - foregut, forms from primitive bile
duct
leads to cystic duct
Liver -> hepatic duct
Gallbladder -> cystic duct
Common Bile duct

Macroscopic Mucosal features:

Mucosa (epithelium + lamina propria)

Mucosal folds
Rokitansky-Aschoff sinuses
Serosa/Adventitia (dense CT + visceral
mesothelium)

Epithelium
Columnar epithelium with microvilli (absorptive
epithelium)
Epithelium lining the biliary system does not
contain mucus-producing cells (few located
in neck of gall bladder)
Basement membrane (not basal lamina which
forms part of basement membrane and only
visible by EM)

Lamina Propria
connective tissue
collagen fibers and fibroblasts
fenestrated capillaries and venules
lymphocytes and plasma cells

Smooth Muscle Layer

random orientation of smooth muscle cells
(fibers)
muscularis propria (or fibromuscular coat)[1]
not like the rest of GIT smooth muscle
organisation, which is divided into muscularis
mucosa (inside submucosa), muscularis
externa (circular and longitudinal)
various terminology used for this layer in
different sources

Serosa/Adventitia
Dense connective tissue layer covered with
visceral mesothelium epithelial layer
Adventitia - where it is attached to the liver
Serosa - where it is free in the peritoneum
Large blood vessels (arteries, veins)
Obvious lymphatic vessels
Autonomic nerve bundles
Adipose tissue

Gall Bladder Function

bile storage
bile concentration
bile release

Histology Images

Development Histology

Adult Histology

See also Animated labeled image

References
1. ↑ Raparia K, Zhai QJ, Schwartz MR, Shen SS,
Ayala AG & Ro JY. (2010). Muscularis
mucosae versus muscularis propria in
gallbladder, cystic duct, and common bile
duct: smoothelin and desmin
immunohistochemical study. Ann Diagn
Pathol , 14, 408-12. PMID: 21074688 DOI.

Historic
Embryology Historic Terminology

Luschka ducts (duct of Luschka) is historic term

referring to an accessory bile duct.
folds of Heister (spiral valves of Heister) are
undulating folds containing muscle fibers in the
proximal mucosa of the cystic duct. First
described by Heister in 1732. PMID: 15696536

External Links
External Links Notice - The dynamic nature of the
internet may mean that some of these listed links
may no longer function. If the link no longer works
search the web with the link text or name. Links to
any external commercial sites are provided for
information purposes only and should never be
considered an endorsement. UNSW Embryology is
provided as an educational resource with no clinical
information or commercial affiliation.

Blue Histology Gallbladder

UNSW Virtual Slides Medicine phase 1 Health
Maintenance B Hepatobiliary System 2 Practical
(requires login for access).
UIOWA Virtual Slidebox of Histology Liver and
biliary system

Glossary Links
Glossary: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M |
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z|
Numbers | Symbols | Term Link

Cite this page: Hill, M.A. (2024, March 5)

Embryology Gastrointestinal Tract - Gallbladder
Histology. Retrieved from
https://embryology.med.unsw.edu.au/embryology/index.php/Gastrointestinal_Tract_-
_Gallbladder_Histology

What Links Here?

© Dr Mark Hill 2024, UNSW Embryology ISBN:

978 0 7334 2609 4 - UNSW CRICOS Provider
Code No. 00098G

Categories:
Histology Gastrointestinal Tract Medicine
Liver Gallbladder

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modified on 20 April 2019,
at 15:56.

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