The gall bladder is a structure just beneath the liver that stores and concentrates bile. The gallbladder is connected to the biliary system by the cystic duct which joins the hepatic bile ducts to form the common bile duct. It releases bile in response to food in the stomach and the presence of the hormone cholecystokinin.
Infection in the gall bladder is cholecystitis and this presents as pain in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen, worsened by palpation and by eating.
Gallstones are quite commonly found in gallbladders. These are most commonly crystals of calcium or cholesterol.
A cholecystectomy is the name of the operation where the gallbladder is removed. Nowadays, this operation is usually performed laparoscopically.