Name two glands that pass their secretions into the small intestine.

• A. Pancreas and Liver
• B. Liver and Kidneys
• C. Gallbladder and Pancreas
• D. Stomach and Pancreas

Answer: (A)

This item tests which organs release digestive secretions into the small intestine. The pancreas is a digestive gland that pours pancreatic juice—enzymes plus bicarbonate—into the duodenum, where digestion continues. The liver produces bile, which is carried through ducts to the duodenum; bile helps emulsify fats, making fats easier to digest. The gallbladder stores bile and releases it as needed, but it doesn’t continuously produce secretions itself, so it’s not adding new digestive secretions into the intestine. The kidneys aren’t involved in digestion, and the stomach releases gastric juice into the stomach, not the small intestine. So the two glands that pass their secretions into the small intestine are the pancreas and the liver.