The Liver Flashcards
What does the liver do with blood?
The liver
…receives deoxygenated blood which is high in nutrients from the small intestine through the hepatic portal vein…
…receives oxygenated blood from the heart through the hepatic artery, and…
…returns deoxygenated blood to the heart through the hepatic vein
What are the basic functions of the liver?
Deamination
Detoxification
Production of Bile
What is bile synthesis?
aids in fat digestion
What is deamination ?
The removal of an amino group from a molecule
What happens in Deamination ?
Liver cells remove surplus amino acids which results in the production of urea.
The remaining amino acid is fed into cellular respiration within the mitochondria of the liver cell, resulting in the production of heat energy and ATP.
define detoxification
When the liver breaks down potentially dangerous substances we digest into small harmless components
Drugs like paracetamol are broken down and if overused can cause liver failure – hence the dosage instructions.
Where is bile produced?
It is produced by the liver, stored in the gall bladder, and release into the small intestine
What is bile used for?
Bile is important for digestion
Bile allows the liver to remove some poisonous by-products from metabolism.
Liver cells breakdown and recycle red blood cells.
These cells lack a nucleus, they have a limited life span (about 3 months).
Two coloured and poisonous chemicals are produced during this process - biliverdin and bilirubin. Both of these then pass into the bile and out of the body.
What does bile give colour to?
They give the characteristic colour to our faeces – which would otherwise be pale.
Whats Cirrhosis ?
Cirrhosis is scarring of the liver caused by continuous long-term liver damage. Scar tissue replaceshealthy tissue in the liver and prevents the liver working properly.
What is Cirrhosis caused by?
Caused by continuous long-term liver damage.
In the UK, the most common causes of cirrhosis are:
drinking too much alcohol over many years
being infected with hepatitis for a long time, particularly hepatitis B or hepatitis C
a severe form of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), where the liver becomes inflamed from a build-up of excess fat
Symptoms of cirrhosis?
As your liver becomes more damaged, you may:
experience fatigue
nausea
loss of appetite
lose weight and muscle mass
get red patches on your palms and small, spider-like blood vessels on your skin (spider angiomas) above waist level
If cirrhosis gets worse, some of the symptoms and complications include:
yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice)
vomiting blood
itchy skin
dark pee and tarry-looking poo
bleeding or bruising easily
swollen legs (oedema) or tummy (ascites) from a build-up of fluid
loss of sex drive (libido)
How do we monitor cirrhosis?
You may have tests to confirm the diagnosis, such as:
blood tests
scans, such as anultrasound,CT,MRI, or transient elastography scan
a liverbiopsy, were afine needle is used to removea sample of liver cells so they can be examined under a microscope
Treatment of cirrhosis?
There’s no cure for cirrhosis at the moment. However, there are ways to manage the symptoms and any complications and slow its progression.
Treating the problem that led to cirrhosis (for example, using anti-viral medicines to treat hepatitis C)
You may be advised to cut down or stop drinking alcohol, or to lose weight if you’re overweight.
GP support - help to stop drinking or to lose weight.
Severe damaged - a liver transplant may be the only treatment option.
