A hormone produced in the small intestine that signals the gallbladder to release bile and helps digest fats.
From Greek 'chole' (bile) + 'cysto-' (bladder) + 'kinesis' (movement). Literally means 'something that moves the bile-bladder,' named for its function of triggering gallbladder contraction.
Your gut is constantly texting your gallbladder with chemical messages—cholecystokinin is one of those messenger molecules that says 'hey, fat just arrived, time to release bile!' It's a reminder that your digestive system runs on precise chemical communication.
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