Gallbladder: Location on the Liver’s Visceral Surface
The gallbladder is a pear-shaped reservoir for bile that sits in a shallow depression (the gallbladder fossa) on the visceral (inferior) surface of the liver. In most individuals it lies between the right and quadrate lobes, so on diagrams it often appears tucked under the anterior-inferior edge of the liver rather than “hanging freely.”
Orientation tip: when viewing the liver from below, the gallbladder typically runs in an anteroinferior direction: the fundus is the most anterior and inferior part, while the neck points posteromedially toward the porta hepatis region.
Nearby organs: practical spatial relationships
- Duodenum: the gallbladder neck and cystic duct region are close to the first part of the duodenum; this proximity becomes important when tracing ducts toward the duodenal entry point.
- Transverse colon: the gallbladder (especially the fundus/body region) can be adjacent to the hepatic flexure and transverse colon; on cross-sectional imaging, this adjacency can make “fluid-filled structures” look similar unless you track continuity with ducts.
- Anterior abdominal wall: the fundus commonly projects to the anterior abdominal wall region near the right costal margin; this is why the fundus is often the most palpable/accessible portion in surface-based descriptions.
Parts of the Gallbladder (and why they matter)
Fundus
The fundus is the rounded blind end. It is typically the most anterior part and may extend slightly beyond the inferior margin of the liver. In imaging, a distended fundus can be the easiest portion to identify because it forms a smooth, rounded contour.
Body
The body is the main storage chamber. It lies in contact with the liver at the gallbladder fossa and is the segment most likely to be seen as a long fluid-filled structure on ultrasound when fasting.
Neck (infundibulum region)
The neck narrows toward the cystic duct. It is the key “turning point” where learners often lose orientation: the neck angles toward the porta hepatis region and is the portion most closely associated with the duct junction landmarks used in dissection and surgery.
- Listen to the audio with the screen off.
- Earn a certificate upon completion.
- Over 5000 courses for you to explore!
Download the app
Extrahepatic Biliary Tree: Junctions You Must Be Able to Trace
The extrahepatic biliary tree can be learned as a stepwise pathway with named junctions. The goal is not memorizing isolated labels, but being able to trace bile flow and identify where structures meet.
Core pathway (junction-focused)
| Step | Structure | What to look for anatomically |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Right and left hepatic ducts | Exit the liver and converge near the porta hepatis region. |
| 2 | Common hepatic duct | Formed by the union of right + left hepatic ducts; this is the “main trunk” before the gallbladder connection. |
| 3 | Cystic duct | Leaves the gallbladder neck; its job is to connect the gallbladder to the main biliary channel. |
| 4 | Junction: cystic duct + common hepatic duct | This union creates the common bile duct; this is the most tested and most clinically referenced junction. |
| 5 | Common bile duct | Continues toward the duodenum; follow it inferiorly to the duodenal entry region. |
Practical tracing rule: if you can identify the cystic duct, you can “name the next duct” by asking: What does it join? When it joins the common hepatic duct, the resulting channel is the common bile duct.
Step-by-step: how to trace ducts on a diagram or scan
- Find the gallbladder lumen (fluid-filled sac) and follow it toward the tapered end (neck).
- Identify the cystic duct leaving the neck; it is the connector, not the main trunk.
- Locate the common hepatic duct as the channel coming from the liver side (superior/medial relative to the gallbladder neck region).
- Mark the junction point where cystic duct meets common hepatic duct.
- From that junction, label the continuation as the common bile duct and follow it toward the duodenum.
Landmarking Concept: The Anatomical Triangle for Orientation
During dissection and operative anatomy, an anatomical triangle region is used as a landmarking concept to orient the cystic duct, common hepatic duct, and the artery supplying the gallbladder. The educational purpose of this triangle is to provide a repeatable “search area” rather than relying on guesswork when structures are partially obscured by fat or connective tissue.
How to use the triangle as a navigation tool (step-by-step)
- Start at the gallbladder neck and identify the cystic duct leaving it.
- Track medially/superiorly to find the common hepatic duct coming from the liver side.
- Define the triangle boundaries visually using these ducts and the inferior surface of the liver as the regional “roof.”
- Within this triangle region, expect to find the key vessel supplying the gallbladder; use this expectation to avoid mistaking small veins or connective tissue bands for major structures.
Why this matters clinically: the triangle is not just a label—it is a method for organizing what you see. When learners get lost, it is usually because they jump to naming structures without first establishing the junction (cystic duct–common hepatic duct) and the triangle region around it.
Duodenal Entry Control Site: The Sphincter Region
At the point where bile enters the duodenum, there is a sphincteric control region that regulates bile delivery. Functionally, this region acts like a valve system: it can restrict flow into the duodenum and thereby influence whether bile is directed toward storage in the gallbladder versus delivery into the intestinal lumen.
Practical anatomy cue
- When tracing the common bile duct inferiorly, aim to identify its terminal segment at the duodenal wall and remember that the sphincter region is located at this entry point—this is the “control site” learners should associate with regulated release.
Common Spatial Relationships That Prevent Diagram and Scan Confusion
Gallbladder vs. duodenum: what sits next to what?
- Neck/cystic duct region is the portion most closely associated with the proximal duodenum and the pathway toward the duodenal entry point.
- If you see a tubular structure near the duodenum, confirm whether it connects to the gallbladder neck (suggesting cystic duct) or continues from the liver side (suggesting common hepatic duct/common bile duct).
Gallbladder vs. transverse colon: avoiding “two fluid structures” confusion
- The fundus/body can lie near the hepatic flexure/transverse colon. On imaging, bowel can mimic a sac-like structure if collapsed or fluid-filled.
- Disambiguation strategy: the gallbladder should have a single tapered outflow (toward the neck/cystic duct). The colon will show continuity with bowel loops and may show gas or haustral patterning.
Gallbladder vs. liver surface: remembering it is “nested,” not suspended
- On many views, the gallbladder appears embedded against the liver’s visceral surface. If a diagram makes it look free-hanging, mentally “press it” into the gallbladder fossa to restore correct spatial logic.
