Liver anatomy
The liver is a large, meaty organ that sits on the right side of the belly. Weighing about 3 pounds, the liver is reddish-brown in color and feels rubbery to the touch. Normally you can't feel the liver, because it's protected by the rib cage.
The liver's main job is to filter the blood coming from the digestive tract, before passing it to the rest of the body. The liver also detoxifies chemicals and metabolizes drugs. As it does so, the liver secretes bile that ends up back in the intestines. The liver also makes proteins important for blood clotting and other functions.
Structure
The liver is a roughly triangular organ that extends across the entire abdominal cavity just inferior to the diaphragm. Most of the liver's mass is located on the right side of the body where it descends inferiorly toward the right kidney.
The liver is made up of two main lobes, each made up of thousands of lobules. These lobules are connected to small ducts that connect with larger ducts to ultimately form the hepatic duct. The hepatic duct transports the bile produced by the liver cells to the gallbladder and duodenum (the first part of the small intestine).
Functions
The liver performs many complex functions in the body, including:
- Bile production: Bile is an alkaline compound that aids in digestion, specifically the digestion of fats.
- Metabolism: The liver metabolizes, or breaks down, nutrients from food to produce energy, when needed.
- Detoxification': The liver helps detoxify harmful substances in the body.
- Storage: The liver stores vitamins and minerals, including iron and copper, for use by the body when needed.
- Blood clotting: The liver produces most of the proteins needed for blood clotting.
- Immunity: The liver plays a role in fighting infections, particularly infections arising in the bowel.
Diseases of the Liver
There are over 100 types of liver disease, which together affect at least 2 million people in the UK. These diseases include hepatitis, alcoholic liver disease, cirrhosis, and cancer of the liver.
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