Liver

Question 1

What travels in the portal vein?

Answer 1

• Water
• Water soluble vitamins
• Electrolytes including sodium, potassium, chloride, bicarbonate, calcium, magnesium, iron
• Carbohydrates
• Glucose, galactose and fructose
• Proteins
• Amino acids, dipeptides and tripeptides
• Intestinal hormones, particularly pancreatic hormones
• Toxins, including ammonia

Question 2

What doesn’t travel in the portal vein?

Answer 2

Lipids

– Dietary lipid is mostly triglycerides, cholesterol and phospholipids. Digested by lipases, this process needs bile acids to form micelles. Lipids are taken into the cells and processed into chylomicrons in the small intestine. Chylomicrons are taken up by lymphatics, called lacteals. Lacteals contain chyle.

-Fat soluble vitamins, (A D E K)

Question 3

What are some potential toxins in the liver?

Answer 3

• Chemical
• Bacteria
• Viruses
• Protozoa
• Nematodes (Roundworms)
• Cestodes (Tapeworms)
• Trematodes (Flukes)

Question 4

What are the general functions of the liver?

Answer 4

• metabolism
• storage
• detoxification
• bile production
• endocrine function

Question 5

What is a sinusoid?

Answer 5

irregular tubular space for the passage of blood taking the place of capillaries and venules in the liver, spleen and bone marrow. its endothelial cells have large gaps to allow Kupffer cells to navigate in liver tissue.

Question 6

What are Kupffer cells?

Answer 6

Kupffer cells are specialized macrophages that patrol tiny vessels in the liver called sinusoids, recycling old red blood cells and ingesting pathogens.

Question 7

What are Stellate (Ito) cells?

Answer 7

Stellate (Ito) cells are full of cytoplasmic vacuoles containing Vitamin A. In liver cirrhosis, hepatic stellate cells lose their vitamin A storage capability and
differentiate into myofibroblasts. That synthesize and deposit collagen within the perisinusoidal space, resulting in liver fibrosis.

This collagen surrounds the central vein, constricting it and leading to portal hypertension