Liver Flashcards
What are 4 major functions of the liver
1) Metabolism
2) Filtering
3) Endo/exocrine
4) Storage of vits
How is the liver involved in metabolism (which two kinds?)
Catabolism - breaks down things
Anabolism - makes things
What does the liver catabolise? (5)
Drugs Toxins RBCs (if splenectomy) Hormones Haemoglobin
What does the liver anabolise? (4)
Albumin
Glycogen
Coagulation factors
Haematopoiesis in foetus
Which fat sol vits does it store? What else does it store?
A B D K Iron Glycogen
Which cell is central to the filtering function of the liver?
Macrophages
What endocrine substances are secreted from the liver?
Angiotensinogen
Thrombopoeitin
Insulin like growth factor
Which things are NOT carried in the portal vein?
Fats/fat soluble vitamins
What are stellate cells? when could you lose the function of this?
Stellate cells - store vit A, lose this function with alcoholism - liver cirrhosis
What are kupffer cells?
macrophages in the liver
What cell type makes up 80% of the liver?
hepatocytes
Can the liver regenerate?
Yes
Which type of food molecule broken down bypasses the liver? What happens instead?
Lipids - form micelles with bile acids, processed into chylomicrons in the small intestine, chylomicrons are taken up by the lymphatics via lacteals of intestine. Lacteals drain into abdom lymphatics which then drain into the thoracic duct joining the venous system by the jugular vein
Where does the blood supply for the liver come from? How much % from each
75% hepatic portal vein
25% hepatic artery
Where are the two capillary beds in the hepatoportal system?
In the GI and the liver - before returning to the heart
What are sinusoids?
Livers version of the capillaries
What is the portal triad?
Portal vein, hepatic artery, bile duct
How does bile travel though acinus?
Through canaliculus to bile ducts through hepatocyte grooves
Where are the lymphatics in the liver?
Run up by the triad
What hormones does the liver break down?
Insulin
Glucagon
Oestrogen and progesterone
Which 2 things does the liver modify to an active form
Vit D and thyroxine
What diseases can happen when the liver function goes wrong/pathogens invade?
Parasites, diarrhoea, cirrhosis etc
What role does the liver play in metabolism of amino acids and glucose?
Amino acids require processing by liver, and glucose is stored as glycogen by hepatocytes.
What travels in the hepatic portal vein from the GI?
- Water
- Water soluble its
- Electrolytes from digestion
- Amino acids/peptides
- Glucose/galactose etc
- Some hormones e.g. pancreatic hormones
- Toxins - ammonia
Why don’t we want ammonia in the body? What does the liver do to it? Where does the ammonia come from?
Toxic and can cross BBB
Liver breaks down into urea so it can be excreted in urine
Ammonia is a breakdown product from when you metabolise proteins/peptides
Liver is the only place in the body which completes the Krebs cycle ammonia —> urea true or false
True
What happens to non essential amino acids in the liver and how are they remade?
Non essential amino acids can be broken down (esp when surplus) as the nitrogen can be toxic. Normally stored as carbohydrate or fatty acid, and non essential amino acids can be easily remade from the carbon skeletons in cells.
Does hepatic portal vein drain blood from the spleen?
Yes
