Structure of Liver Flashcards
1
Q
what is the function of the liver?
A
- regulation of blood sugar
- production and regulation of lipids
- synthesis of plasma proteins
- transanimation to produce non-essential amino acids
- deamination
- detoxification
2
Q
what is the liver?
A
- a large active organ in the abdominal cavity
3
Q
how does the liver receive oxygenated blood?
A
- the hepatic artery
4
Q
how does the blood leave the liver?
A
- through the hepatic vein
5
Q
what is the hepatic artery?
A
- brings high pressure oxygenated blood into liver
- rich in oxygen, low in waste
6
Q
what is the hepatic portal vein?
A
- brings low pressure blood from the intestine to the liver
- rich in dissolved nutrients and CO2, low in oxygen
7
Q
what the is the hepatic vein?
A
- takes blood back into the general circulation
- its composition is regulated with shortages made up and excesses reduced
8
Q
what is the bile duct?
A
- takes bile from the liver to the gall bladder (for storage)
- OR to the small intestine where it neutralises excess stomach acids or emulsifies lipids
9
Q
what are liver cells called?
A
- hepatocytes
10
Q
how are hepatocytes adapted?
A
- lots of mitochondria
- large nuclei
- prominent golgi apparatus
11
Q
what do the adaptations of hepatocytes allow?
A
- enable a higher metabolic rate
12
Q
what is the liver divided into?
A
- lobules which are separated from each other by connective tissue
13
Q
what happens to the blood delivered INTO the liver?
A
- blood transported by hepatic artery and hepatic portal vein
- this blood mixes with sinusoids
14
Q
what are sinusoids?
A
- space that is surrounded by hepatocytes (wide capillaries)
15
Q
why is it important that blood from the hepatic artery and hepatic portal vein mixes with the sinusoids?
A
- blood from the hepatic artery is highly oxygenated
- blood from the hepatic portal vein is low in oxygen
- this blood can mix and drain into the hepatic vein
