Functional microanatomy of the liver Flashcards
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general anatomical features of the liver
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
what does the internal structure of the liver evolve around
several vessels entering or leaving the organ
portal vein
brings food rich blood from the gut
hepatic artery
bring arterial blood
hepatic veins
takes away processed blood into vena cava
lymphatics
take away lymph
hepatic ducts
remove bile to gallbladder and gut
liver blood supply
25% from hepatic artery - arterial
75% from portal vein - food rich from gut
nerve supply of liver
sympathetic and parasympathetic supply of perivascular structures, very little and sinusoidal level
first impression of liver microanatomy
uniform mass of large glandular cells throughout liver substance
closer examination of liver microanatomy
cells arranged in perforated plates, one cell wide
between plates are sinusoidal blood channels lined by endothelial cells
what are scattered in the glandular mass
blood vessels, both alone and accompanied by other vessels
distribution of these vessels defines or marks out classic hepatic lobules
central vein/terminal hepatic venule
very thin wall
lies in centre of lobule with sinusoids converging towards and opening into it
sublobular/intercalated vein
thicker wall
lies alone at periphery of lobule
branch of portal vein
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
what constitutes a portal triad
portal vein, artery and bile duct - the area which they lie in is a portal area
hepatic lobular blood flow is what 3 things
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
what is intralobular bile flow
from the lobules centre towards the peripheral bile ducts, and runs within any one cell plate, between the liver cells in bile canaliculi
liver acinus
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
what zones are the liver acini divided into
1 - periportal
2 - intermediate
3 - perivenous (close to the central vein)
features of the periportal zone of the liver acinus
roughly spheroid
isolated from periportal zones of adjacent acini
current concepts of hepatic microarchitecture
1 - primary lobule territory
2 - anatomical details: conical 3D configuration
what are liver sinusoids
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
what are sinusoids lined with
fenestrated epithelial cells which are loosely attached. they hold phagocytic Kupffer cells