Bile salts are salts of which substances?

• A. Water
• B. Bile pigments
• C. Bile acids
• D. Lecithin

Answer: (C)

Bile salts are salts formed by conjugating bile acids with amino acids (glycine or taurine). In the liver, bile acids like cholic and chenodeoxycholic acids are produced and then conjugated to glycine or taurine to form bile salts such as glycocholate and taurocholate. This conjugation makes them highly water-soluble and enables them to act as detergents that emulsify fats, essential for fat digestion and absorption. Water isn’t a bile salt, bile pigments are bilirubin pigments, and lecithin is a phospholipid; the salts in bile come from bile acids.