Functional microanatomy of the liver Flashcards

deck complete

1
Q

general anatomical features of the liver

A

large, lobulated exocrine and blood processing gland, with vessels and ducts entering and leaving at the porta
enclosed by a thin collagen tissue capsule, mostly covered by the mesothelium
collagen tissue of the branching vascular system provides gross support
parenchymal cells are supported by fien reticular fibres

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2
Q

what does the internal structure of the liver evolve around

A

several vessels entering or leaving the organ

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3
Q

portal vein

A

brings food rich blood from the gut

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4
Q

hepatic artery

A

bring arterial blood

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5
Q

hepatic veins

A

takes away processed blood into vena cava

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6
Q

lymphatics

A

take away lymph

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7
Q

hepatic ducts

A

remove bile to gallbladder and gut

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8
Q

liver blood supply

A

25% from hepatic artery - arterial
75% from portal vein - food rich from gut

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9
Q

nerve supply of liver

A

sympathetic and parasympathetic supply of perivascular structures, very little and sinusoidal level

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10
Q

first impression of liver microanatomy

A

uniform mass of large glandular cells throughout liver substance

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11
Q

closer examination of liver microanatomy

A

cells arranged in perforated plates, one cell wide
between plates are sinusoidal blood channels lined by endothelial cells

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12
Q

what are scattered in the glandular mass

A

blood vessels, both alone and accompanied by other vessels
distribution of these vessels defines or marks out classic hepatic lobules

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13
Q

central vein/terminal hepatic venule

A

very thin wall
lies in centre of lobule with sinusoids converging towards and opening into it

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14
Q

sublobular/intercalated vein

A

thicker wall
lies alone at periphery of lobule

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15
Q

branch of portal vein

A

at periphery of lobule
accompanied by one or more small hepatic arteries/arterioles, one or more bile ducts/ductules lined by cuboidal epithelium, and lymphatics

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16
Q

what constitutes a portal triad

A

portal vein, artery and bile duct - the area which they lie in is a portal area

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17
Q

hepatic lobular blood flow is what 3 things

A

1 - from branches of portal vein and hepatic artery, from periphery towards centre
2 - in the sinusoids between cell plates
3 - blood collected in central veins goes to sublobular veins, then to collecting veins, and then hepatic veins leaving the liver

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18
Q

what is intralobular bile flow

A

from the lobules centre towards the peripheral bile ducts, and runs within any one cell plate, between the liver cells in bile canaliculi

19
Q

liver acinus

A

represents as a functional unit comprising parts of 3 or so lobules. explains the differences in exposure to the blood supply among various parts of lobules

20
Q

what zones are the liver acini divided into

A

1 - periportal
2 - intermediate
3 - perivenous (close to the central vein)

21
Q

features of the periportal zone of the liver acinus

A

roughly spheroid
isolated from periportal zones of adjacent acini

22
Q

current concepts of hepatic microarchitecture

A

1 - primary lobule territory
2 - anatomical details: conical 3D configuration

23
Q

what are liver sinusoids

A

low pressure vascular channels that receive blood from terminal branches of the hepatic artery and portal vein at the periphery of lobules and deliver it into central veins

24
Q

what are sinusoids lined with

A

fenestrated epithelial cells which are loosely attached. they hold phagocytic Kupffer cells

25
how are fenestrated epithelial lining cells attached
loosely attached, rest of microvilli of underlying hepatic cells, without basal lamina intervening
26
what is formed by fenestrated epithelial lining cells and what does this result in
forms a sieve plate. means plasma can pass through into perisinusoidal space of Disse to interact with hepatocytes. some fluid may pass to periphery of lobule to be collected as lymph
27
what does Disse's space contain
ECM material, no visible basal lamina
28
function and location of stellate cells
scarce, fat storing lie outside endothelial cells store vitamin A respond to variety of insults by making collagen and causing cirrhosis (fibrosis)
29
what 3 things does the sinusoidal wall provide for
1 - blood cleansing, e.g. of gut bacterial toxins 2 - haemopoiesis in the embryo 3 - bringing plasma into intimate contact with hepatic cell for many metabolic functions of storage, transformations, syntheses, regulation of plasma concentration, detoxification, production of bile, and assisting defence by producing acute-phase proteins
30
what are hepatocytes
the main functional cell of the liver. 80% of liver mass
31
3D arrangement of hepatocytes
arranged in plates that anastomose with each other polygonal in shape, sides in contact with either sinusoids of neighbouring hepatocytes
32
what forms bile canaliculi
modified portions of the lateral faces of hepatocytes. microvilli present abundantly on sinusoidal faces and project sparsely into bile canaliculi
33
hepatocyte nuclei
distinctly round, with one or two prominent nucleoli. majority have single nucleus but binucleate cells are common
34
features of hepatocytes/hepatic cells
large spheroid nucleus with membrane pores and ribosomes on outer membrane extensive granular ER smooth ER mitochondria actin and other filaments near bile canaliculi and elsewhere cell membrane projecting microvilli into space of Disse - held firmly to adjacent cells Golgi body and lysosomes lying near canaliculis peroxisomes glycogen granules stored in association with smooth ER fat droplets occurring briefly after meals lipofuscin or aging pigment
35
granular endoplasmic reticulum
protein synthesis for enzymes, plasma proteins, etc
36
smooth endoplasmic reticulum
steroid hormone and cholesterol metabolism, lipids taken in, processed and secreted in a way very like enterocytes, SER carries enzymes for detoxification
37
mitochondria
oxidative and other enzymes
38
system of canaliculi
between hepatic cells leads to canals of hering/cholangioles both have hepatocytes and bile duct cells in their walls
39
bile ducts
epithelium changes to columnar mucous cells and extrahepatically the ducts acquire smooth muscle as well as collagen tissue
40
cystic ducts
allow reflux into gallbladder when sphincter of Oddi at duodenal outlet of the common bile duct is closed
41
bile pathways
system of canaliculi > canals of hering/cholangioles > bile ductules > bile ducts > cystic duct
42
features of bile ductules and where they are found
in portal areas small cuboidal cells firmly held by membrane interdigitations and junctional complexes few luminal microvilli
43
formation of lymph
formed by filtration of plasma into spaces of Disse as blood flows through sinusoids lymph percolates between space of Disse and portal tracts then lymphatics form that run along portal vessels and biliary ducts