Liver Flashcards
What form is glucose stored as?
Glycogen
What protein maintains blood pressure?
Albumin
What secretion does the liver produce that is responsible for fat digestion and where is it concentrated and stored?
Bile. Stored in gallbladder.
How many lobes does the liver have?
4
Name the lobes of the liver.
Right, left, quadrate, and caudate
What type of cells produce bile?
Hepatocytes (liver cells)
Proteins produced by the liver are usually what type?
Carrier proteins
What are 2 major functions of the liver?
Purification of blood.
Processing material absorbed from GIT.
What is the ductus venosus?
An embryological remnant that forms the ligament that separates the lobes of the liver.
Where does the liver sit?
Under the ribcage.
What is the purpose of the ductus venosus?
To direct blood from the liver to heart in babies in utero.
What is the common hepatic duct?
Where the hepatic ducts of the right and left lobes join.
Describe the travel of bile from the liver to gallbladder via ducts.
-liver
>right and left hepatic ducts
>common hepatic duct
>gallbladder
What duct does bile pass through to go into the duodenum?
Cystic duct.
What is the function of bile in the duodenum?
Fat digestion.
What is the function of the hepatic portal vein?
Drainage of blood from unpaired abdominal organs to liver.
What supplies the liver with oxygenated blood?
Hepatic artery.
What branch does the hepatic artery come from?
Coeliac trunk.
What are the 3 components of the portal triad?
Hepatic artery, Portal vein, and Bile canaliculus.
What shape are the arrangement of hepatocytes?
Hexagonal.
What is on the corners of each hexagonal hepatocytes?
Portal triad.
What colour does the liver stain and why?
Brown due to high density of iron and haemoglobin.
How long can the liver store iron for?
6 months.
What could cause hepatomegaly (big liver)?
Tumour, inflammation, or blockage.
What causes obstructive jaundice?
Lesion on liver which leads to blockage in biliary system, causing back flow of bile into bloodstream.
What is the function of the hepatic vein?
Drains deoxygenated blood from liver back to the heart via the vena cava.
What are sinusoids?
Specialised filter channels that deliver blood from hepatic artery and portal vein to the central veins.
What is the abbreviation for the scope that allows biliary obstruction to be seen?
ERCP.
Bile contains lipid emulsifiers called what? What is their function?
Bile salts. Breakdown of fat.
What are the waste products contained in bile called?
Bilirubin.
Where do sinusoids drain to?
The hepatic vein.
Does bile drain towards or away from the liver?
Away from.
What are the 2 components of bile?
Bile salts (lipid emulsifiers)
Bilirubin (waste products)
