Histology of the Liver

Question 1

THe liver wins the prize for what?

Answer 1

the largest gland in the body

Question 2

What are the two sources of blood supply to the liver?

Answer 2

hepatic artery and portal vein

Question 3

What are some of the main functions of the liver?

Answer 3

1. metabolism of carbs, lipids and proteisn
2. storage of glycoegen
3. secreiton of glucose, plasma proteins and lipoprotein sinto blood
4. secreiton of bile, bilirubin and secretory IgA
5. degradation and excretion of hormones
6. Transformation and excretion of drugs and toxins

Question 4

What is the outer connective tissue capsule of the liver called?

Answer 4

Glisson’s capsule

Question 5

The capsule is covered by mesothelium except for what region?

Answer 5

the bare area of the liver

Question 6

Septa from the capsule subdivide the liver lobe sinto what?

Answer 6

lobules

Question 7

What is contained in the hilus of the liver?

Answer 7

portal vein, hepatic artery, bile duct, lymphatic vessles and enrves

Question 8

True or false: the classic live lobule is not sharply delineated in humans like it is in other animals.

Answer 8

true

Question 9

What structure is located at the corners of the hexagonal classic liver lobule?

Answer 9

portal canals (or portal spaces or portal tracts)

Question 10

What is contained in the portal canals?

Answer 10

branch of the portal vein, branch of the hepatic artery, branch of the bile duct, lymph vessels and nerves

Question 11

What is located at the center of the classic liver lobule?

Answer 11

central vein

Question 12

How are the liver parenchymal cells arranged?

Answer 12

in cords (plates or traveculae) radiating out from the central vein

Question 13

The outermost layer of the hepatocytes within a lobule make up the what?

Answer 13

limiting plate

Question 14

What is contained in the space between the cords?

Answer 14

sinusoidal capillaries

Question 15

The sinusoidal capillaries receive blood from what? Why si this unique?

Answer 15

It receives blood from both the branch of the portal vein and the hepatic artery, which means it get sa mix of oxygenated blood form the hepatic artery and unoxygenated (but highly rich in nutrients) blood from the portal vein branch

Question 16

Within the portal canal, which is the biggest vessel? And how can you distinguish the bile duct branch?

Answer 16

the portal vein branch is largest

the common bile duct branch will have a simple cuboidal epithelium

Question 17

True or false: hepatocytes can be binucleate.

Answer 17

true - it’s actually quite common

Question 18

What is special about the capillaries in the liver?

Answer 18

they are sinusoidal capillaries with large fenestrations so that the blood can leak out into the parynchma of the liver and percolate towards the central vein

Question 19

Where do the central veins drain into?

Answer 19

the sublobular veins

Question 20

Where do the sublobular veins drain into?

Answer 20

the hepatic vein which dumps into the inferior vena cava

Question 21

What are the little spaces formed by tight junctions between two adjacent hepatocytes?

Answer 21

bile canaliuli

Question 22

True or false: the hepatic sinusoids have no basal lamina.

Answer 22

true

Question 23

What are the macrophage sof the liver called?

Answer 23

kupffer cells

Question 24

What cells are located just outside the isnusoids in space of Disse? What do they do?

Answer 24

the perisinusoidal fat storing cells (also called stellate cells or Ito cells) which store fat and vitamin A

Question 25

True or false: hepatocytes have microvilli that project into the space of Disse?

Answer 25

true

Question 26

Describe the classic lobule concept?

Answer 26

the central vein is at the center of the hexagonal lobule with portal canals at the points

Question 27

Which direction does blood flow in the classic lobule concept? How about bile?

Answer 27

blood flows from the pierphary of the lobule to the center of the lobule

bile flows from the center of the lobule to the periphery of the lobule

Question 28

Describe the portal lobule concept?

Answer 28

the portal canal is the lobule center and the central veins make points

Question 29

Which direction does blood flow in the portal lobule concept? Bile?

Answer 29

blood goes from central to peripheral

bile goes from peripheral to central

Question 30

Describe the liver acinus concept?

Answer 30

THe lobule is now a rhombus

the center of the lobule is the terminal branch of the portal vein and hepatic artery (so one fo the straight edges of the hexagon) and the central veins and portal canals are points

Question 31

Which direction does blood flow in the liver acinus concept? Bile?

Answer 31

blood goes from central to peripheral

bile goes from peripheral to central

Question 32

The liver acinus is divided into three zones. Which is more susceptible to ischemia?

Answer 32

the third zone, or outermost zone is most susceptible to ischemia because it receives blood with the lower oxygen and lowest nutrient content

Question 33

The liver acinus is divided into three zones. Which zone is most susceptible to toxin damage?

Answer 33

zone 1 because it will receive blood with the highest concentration of the toxin