LIVER

Question 1

Liver

Answer 1

• reddish brown gland located immediately inferior to the diaphragm
• the body’s largest gland
• weighs about 1.4 kg
• secretes bile which contributes to digestion

Question 2

Anatomy of the liver

Answer 2

• four lobes—right, left, quadrate, and caudate
• falciform ligament separates left and right lobes
• sheet of mesentery that suspends the liver from the diaphragm
• from inferior view, squarish quadrate lobe next to the gallbladder and a tail-like caudate lobe posterior to that
• gallbladder—adheres to a depression on the inferior surface of the liver, between right and quadrate lobes

Question 3

Histology of the liver

Answer 3

• Hepatic lobules—tiny countless cylinders that fill the interior of the liver
• Central vein: passing down the core
• Hepatocytes: cuboidal cells surrounding central vein
• Hepatic sinusoids: blood-filled channels that filtered through the sinusoids comes directly from the stomach and intestines
• Hepatic macrophages (Kupffer cells): phagocytic cells in the sinusoids

Question 4

Hepatocytes

Answer 4

• absorb from the blood—glucose, amino acids, iron, vitamins, and other nutrients for metabolism or storage
• removes and degrades–Hormones, toxins, bile pigments, and drugs
• secretes into the blood–Albumin, lipoproteins, clotting factors, angiotensinogen, and other products
• between meals, hepatocytes break down stored glycogen and release glucose into the blood

Question 5

Blood supply to the liver

Answer 5

Question 6

Gallbladder

Answer 6

a pear-shaped sac on underside of liver

serves to store and concentrate bile

10 cm long

Question 7

Bile

Answer 7

yellow-green fluid containing minerals, cholesterol, neutral fats, phospholipids, bile pigments, and bile acids