5.7 Breakdown Functions of The Liver Flashcards
What is deamination?
When the liver cells remove surplus amino acids, resulting in the production of urea.
What happens to remaining amino acid after deamination?
The remaining amino acid is fed into cellular respiration within the mitochondria of the liver cell, resulting in the production of ATP and heat energy.
What is detoxification?
When the liver cells remove poisons like alcohol by breaking them down into harmless components.
What is an example of a drug that is broken down by the liver?
Paracetamol is broken down and if overused can result in liver failure.
What does bile allow the liver to do?
Bile allows the liver to remove some poisonous by-products from metabolism.
How does liver recycle red blood cells?
Liver cells break down and recycle red blood cells. As the haemoglobin from the red blood cells is recycled, 2 poisonous, coloured chemicals are produced:
- Biliverdin
- Bilirubin
These pass into the bile and out of the body.
What happens when you have liver disease of obstructions such as gallstones?
The biliverdin and bilirubin cannot pass out in the bile and so pass into the blood instead. This results in a yellow tinge to the skin and the whites of our eyes such as jaundice. If not treated, this can lead to brain damage and even death.
