Liver Flashcards
What are the 7 functions of the liver?
- exocrine
- endocrine
- clotting factors
- plasma proteins
- metabolism
- chloesterol synthesis
- excretory
What is the hepatostat?
Maintains the liver size in proportion with body size and needs
What is the diaphragmatic surface of the liver?
superior upper surface of liver
What is the visceral surface of the liver?
faces adjacent abdominal
What is the upper central lobe called?
Caudate lobe
What is the lower central lobe called?
Quadrate lobe
What separates the right and left lobes?
The falciform ligament
What are the two blood supplies to the liver?
Hepatic portal vein delivers from GI tract
Hepatic artery delivers from heart
What are hepatic lobules?
Anatomical unit of liver
How does blood flow through the hepatic lobules?
Blood flows in through via portal trials, flows through sinusoidal vessels and into central vein
How does bile flow through the hepatic lobules?
Bile flows in opposite direction to blood, down bile canaliculi into bile ductules, to the GI tract
What are hepatocytes?
Specialised polarised cells that separate sinusoidal blood from canalicular blood
What is bile?
Secretory product of liver
Contains HCO3-, cholesterol, lecithin, bile pigments and salts
What are fenestrated sinusoidal endothelial cells?
Filter between lumen of hepatocytes and hepatic sinusoid
What are kupffer cells?
a key part of the livers defences, filters out pathogens and toxins
What are stellate cells?
Spindle shaped cell bodies, thought to be involved in liver fibrosis
What are cholangiocytes?
epthelial cells that line the hepatic ductsof the billiary tree
How is cholesterol synthesised?
de novo, from Acetyl Co-A
How is cholesterol transported in the body?
Does not dissolve well so is packaged with lipoproteins
How do you treat Atherosclerosis?
Statins that inhibit cholesterol synthesis
How much bile is produced everyday?
600-1000ml
What are primary bile acids?
synthesised from cholesterol and released into intestine upon hormone signals
What are secondary bile acids?
formed in the intestine by bacteria flora
How much of the bile salts are recycled?
around 95%
What is the sphincter of oddi?
a ring of smooth muscle where common bile duct enters the small intestine
What is cholecystokinin?
Hormone produced by small intestine, stimulated when amino/fatty acids in small intestine
What does the gall bladder do?
stroes bile, can concentrate it up to 20x, does thiss by rmoving salts and water
How are insulin-like growth factors synthesised?
Synthesised in response to GH
What are the 5 ways the liver can metabolise?
Oxidation
Hydroxylation
Dealkylation
Deamination
Hydrolysis
What is clopidogrel
An anti-thrombotic agent that inhibits platelet activation
