Liver

Question 1

What are 4 major functions of the liver

Answer 1

1) Metabolism
2) Filtering
3) Endo/exocrine
4) Storage of vits

Question 2

How is the liver involved in metabolism (which two kinds?)

Answer 2

Catabolism - breaks down things

Anabolism - makes things

Question 3

What does the liver catabolise? (5)

Answer 3

Drugs
Toxins
RBCs (if splenectomy)
Hormones
Haemoglobin

Question 4

What does the liver anabolise? (4)

Answer 4

Albumin
Glycogen
Coagulation factors
Haematopoiesis in foetus

Question 5

Which fat sol vits does it store? What else does it store?

Answer 5

A
B
D
K
Iron
Glycogen

Question 6

Which cell is central to the filtering function of the liver?

Answer 6

Macrophages

Question 7

What endocrine substances are secreted from the liver?

Answer 7

Angiotensinogen
Thrombopoeitin
Insulin like growth factor

Question 8

Which things are NOT carried in the portal vein?

Answer 8

Fats/fat soluble vitamins

Question 9

What are stellate cells? when could you lose the function of this?

Answer 9

Stellate cells - store vit A, lose this function with alcoholism - liver cirrhosis

Question 10

What are kupffer cells?

Answer 10

macrophages in the liver

Question 11

What cell type makes up 80% of the liver?

Answer 11

hepatocytes

Question 12

Can the liver regenerate?

Answer 12

Yes

Question 13

Which type of food molecule broken down bypasses the liver? What happens instead?

Answer 13

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

Question 14

Where does the blood supply for the liver come from? How much % from each

Answer 14

75% hepatic portal vein

25% hepatic artery

Question 15

Where are the two capillary beds in the hepatoportal system?

Answer 15

In the GI and the liver - before returning to the heart

Question 16

What are sinusoids?

Answer 16

Livers version of the capillaries

Question 17

What is the portal triad?

Answer 17

Portal vein, hepatic artery, bile duct

Question 18

How does bile travel though acinus?

Answer 18

Through canaliculus to bile ducts through hepatocyte grooves

Question 19

Where are the lymphatics in the liver?

Answer 19

Run up by the triad

Question 20

What hormones does the liver break down?

Answer 20

Insulin
Glucagon
Oestrogen and progesterone

Question 21

Which 2 things does the liver modify to an active form

Answer 21

Vit D and thyroxine

Question 22

What diseases can happen when the liver function goes wrong/pathogens invade?

Answer 22

Parasites, diarrhoea, cirrhosis etc

Question 23

What role does the liver play in metabolism of amino acids and glucose?

Answer 23

Amino acids require processing by liver, and glucose is stored as glycogen by hepatocytes.

Question 24

What travels in the hepatic portal vein from the GI?

Answer 24

• Water
• Water soluble its
• Electrolytes from digestion
• Amino acids/peptides
• Glucose/galactose etc
• Some hormones e.g. pancreatic hormones
• Toxins - ammonia

Question 25

Why don’t we want ammonia in the body? What does the liver do to it? Where does the ammonia come from?

Answer 25

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

Question 26

Liver is the only place in the body which completes the Krebs cycle ammonia —> urea true or false

Answer 26

True

Question 27

What happens to non essential amino acids in the liver and how are they remade?

Answer 27

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.

Question 28

Does hepatic portal vein drain blood from the spleen?

Answer 28

Yes