Histology Lecture 4 -- Liver and Pancreas Flashcards
Anatomic location of the liver
Under the diaphragm in the upper right quadrant of the abdomen
What is the largset gland in the body?
Liver
What is the liver covered by?
A dense connective tissue capsule (Glisson’s capsule) lined by peritoneum
Lobes of the liver
- Large right lobe
- Smaller left lobe
- 2 smaller lobes in between
- Anterior = quadrate lobe
- Posterior = caudate lobe
What lies between the quadrate and caudate lobes of the liver?
At the center of the liver = hilum-like indentation –> portal fissure / porta hepatis
3 structures of the porta hepatis / portal fissure
- Hepatic artery
- Portal vein
- Bile duct
Define portal spaces
Spaces corresponding to the sites where branches of the hepatic artery, (hepatic) portal vein and bile duct are found, surrounded by connective tissue
How does the liver differ from other glands?
Connective tissue elements are sparse; most of the liver is made up of rather uniform parenchymal cells (hepatocytes)
What kind of gland is the liver?
Exocrine and endocrine
What functional cell of the liver performs its glandular functions?
Hepatocyte
4 exocrine secretion products of the liver
- Bile
- Bilirubin
- (Also, phospholipids and cholesterol)
Contents of bile
Bile salts and conjugated bilirubin
Where are the endocrine products of the liver released into?
Blood
5 endocrine products of the liver
- Albumin
- Prothrombin
- Fibrinogen
- Lipoproteins
- Transferrin
7 functions of the liver
- Endocrine secretion
- Exocrine secretion
- Storage of carbohydrates as glycogen and triglycerides
- Metabolic functions
- Detoxification and conversion/ inactivation (i.e. of drugs)
- Blood reservoir
- Fetus = hemopoietic organ
2 metabolic functions of the liver
- Gluconeogenesis
- Transformation of ammonia into urea
3 structure forming the prominent features of liver histology
- Portal spaces
- Cords of liver cells and sinusoids
- Central veins
Location of the portal spaces
At some corners of the hepatic lobule
How can hepatic (liver) lobules be distinguished?
By joining the portal spaces together
NOTE: In human liver, spaces are not actually joined together, but in pig liver, connective tissue of portal spaces delineate the outer perimater of the anatomical liver lobules (arrows)
5 contents of portal spaces
- Lymphatic vessels
- Nerves
- Branches of the hepatic artery (usually seen as a small muscular artery/arteriole)
- Branch of the portal vein (usually a small vein/venule)
- Branch of the bile duct (interlobular bile duct)
Appearance of interlobular bile ducts
Regular ducts lined by a columnar or cuboidal epithelium
Describe the positions of cords (plates) of liver cells and sinusoids
From the perphery of the lobule, they radiate toward the middle of the lobule, where they converge on the central vein. Cords alternate with sinusoids.
Describe the blood supply of sinusoids
- Branches of the hepatic artery deliver arterial blood into the sinusoid
- Branches of the hepatic portal vein send venous blood rich in nutrients from the intestine into the same sinusoids
- Both types of blood mix in the sinusoid
Describe the blood flow from the sinusoids
- As blood flows towards the central vein, it gives up oxygen and nutrients to the liver cells and picks up metabolized and synthesized products made by liver cells (endocrine)
- Blood empties into the central vein of the lobule
What forms hepatic veins and where do they go?
- Central veins converge –> hepatic veins
- Do not run in the portal spaces
- Join to leave the posterior aspect of the liver and enter the IVC
Describe the general morphology of liver cells
- Polyhedral shape
- 2 distinct surfaces
- Those facing other liver cells to make up the cord (or wall of cells)
- Those facing toward the sinusoids (usually the cord is 1 cell thick, so there are 2 sinusoid-facing sides)
Describe the histology of the sinusoid-facing sides of liver cells
- Microvilli
- Face an extracellular space (perisinusoidal space; space of Disse)
Describe the histology of the hepatocyte-facing side of liver cells
- Hemispherical depressions on surface –> Match similar depressions on the adjacent liver cell
- Two halves form a “bile canaliculus” between liver cells
- Golgi region faces this –> bile secretion into small intercellular duct