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Mice, unlike rats, have a gallbladder. The cystic duct of the mouse gallbladder joins the hepatic duct to form the common bile duct, which enters the duodenum at the duodenal papilla. The common bile duct is lined by cuboidal epithelium, which changes to columnar epithelium at the intestinal wall. The wall of the gallbladder consists of a mucosa (comprising simple cuboidal epithelium and lamina propria), a thin smooth muscle layer, and a serosa. The mucosa is folded when the gallbladder is empty.
The 4X and 10X micrographs of the gallbladder show the folded mucosa of this organ. The 20X and 40X micrographs of the gallbladder display its simple cuboidal epithelium, lamina propria, and muscularis consisting of smooth muscle.
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