Downing: Histology of the Liver Flashcards
What is the function of the liver?
Regulates metab of carbs, lipids, proteins
Storehouse for CARBS
Secretes glucose, plasma proteins and lipoproteins into blood stream
secretes bile, bilirubin and secretory IgA into duodenum
Degrades and excretes hormones
Transforms/excretes drugs/ toxins
What is the largest gland in the body?
liver
How does blood flow through the liver?
Enters via hepatic artery and portal vein
Leaves via hepatic veins
What is the classic liver lobule?
Hard to delineate in human livers
hexagonal 1mm x 2mm
1 million in human livers!
Portal canals are located at the corners of the hexagons (2-4)
What’s in the portal canal?
Portal vein hepatic artery bile duct lymphatic vessels nerves
What are the liver parenchymal cells?
(hepatocytes)
Form liver cords, plates or tubercula
What is the dual blood supply to the liver?
portal vein
hepatic artery
What is the pathway of the blood flow?
- portal vein/hepatic artery
- branches of PV/HA
- hepatic sinusoids
- central veins
- sublobular vein
- hepatic vein
- IVC
What is a hepatic sinusoid?
where portal veins and hepatic arteries empt
What lines a hepatic sinusoid?
endothelial cells kupffer cells (mphages) perisinusoidal fat storying cell (lypocyte)= stores vit A
*no basal lamina
What role does the endothelial cell play in the hepatic sinusoid?
alllows chylomicrons and plasma to come in contact w/ liver parenchyma
What are kupffer cells?
Phagocytic cells
moncytes
What are lipocytes?
perisinusoidal fat storing cells
Store vit A
What is a liver parenchymal cell?
Carries out the metabolic fxn of liver (50 golgi complexes)
Binucelated cells
Contains microvilli that project into the space of Disse (between sinusoidal lining nad liver parenchymal cells)
What is a classical lobule?
Central veins outline portal spaces
