5.1.2 (b) the Liver Flashcards
what are the 3 vessels connected to the liver?
hepatic artery
hepatic vein
hepatic portal vein
which vessel removes blood from the liver?
hepatic vein
which vessels bring blood to the liver?
hepatic artery and hepatic portal vein
what is the composition of the blood in the hepatic artery?
this is oxygenated blood from the heart
what is the composition of the blood in the hepatic portal vein?
this is blood containing high concentrations of nutrients from the intestines to allow for metabolic activity in the liver
what cells make up the liver?
hepatocytes
what are the features of a hepatocyte?
they have a large nucleus
they have a prominent golgi complex
they have LOTS of mitochondria
why do hepatocytes have a lot of mitochondria?
they are very metabolically active cells
why do hepatocytes have a prominent golgi?
they have to secrete lots of vesicles of bile
what do hepatocytes do?
break down harmful substances in the blood
break down red blood cells into bile
where is the blood from the hepatic artery and hepatic portal vein mixed in the liver?
spaces called sinusoids are surrounded by hepatocytes
why is the blood mixed in the liver?
this increases the oxygen content of the blood
what are Kuppfer cells?
they are found on hepatocytes and ingest pathogens and protect the liver from disease
where does the bile secreted from the hepatocytes go to?
the Canaliculus which drains the bile into the bile ductiles and then into the gall bladder
micrograph of a liver tissue
what are the main functions of the liver?
carbohydrate metabolism
deamination of amino acids
detoxification