胆管为胆汁由肝脏发送至十二指肠的一个管道。

肝内的胆小管逐级合并成左、右肝管，出肝门再合成为肝总管；肝总管与胆囊管汇合成胆总管。

肝细胞持续不断的制造胆汁浓缩并保存于胆囊中；平时胆汁由肝管、肝总管经过胆囊管入胆囊，进食时贮存于胆囊的浓缩胆汁经过胆囊管、胆总管进入十二指肠。

当脂肪进入十二指肠中会刺激胆囊间歇的分泌出胆汁帮助分解脂肪。

胆囊管发生梗塞可引起胆囊积液，而肝总管或胆总管发生梗塞则造成阻塞性黄疸。

A bile duct is any of a number of long tube-like structures that carry bile.

Bile, required for the digestion of food, is secreted by the liver into passages that carry bile toward the hepatic duct, which joins with the cystic duct (carrying bile to and from the gallbladder) to form the common bile duct, which opens into the intestine.