Liver Anatomy and Function Flashcards
Divisions of functional units in each segment of the liver
- Lobule
- Acinus
What are functional units of the liver composed of?
- Plates of hepatocytes
- Sinusoidal channels
- Inlet + exit blood vessels
- Bile canaliculi
Which vessels supply the liver with blood?
- Hepatic artery
- Portal vein
Course of blood through the liver
- Enters
- Mixes in sinusoids
- Drains via hepatic veins into IVC
Lobule vs acinus
- Acinus centred on portal tracts
- Lobule centred on central veins
Types of cell in the liver
- Hepatocyte
- Biliary epithelium
- Endothelium
- Kupffer cells
- Stellate cells
What type of cells are hepatocytes?
Polarised polyhedral epithelial cells
What type of cells are biliary epithelium?
Polarised cuboidal/columnar epithelial cells
What type of cell are liver endothelial cells?
Squamous epithelial cells
What do endothelial cells do in the liver?
- Line hepatic vasculature
- Protect parenchyma from blood cells, bacteria + viruses
- Filter fluids
- Anti-thrombogenic
- Regulation of coagulation
- Regulation of leukocyte traffic
- Selective uptake of solutes + particles
- Scavenging of waste products
What are Kupffer cells?
Hepatic microphages located within the sinusoids
Function of Kupffer cells
- Phagocytosis
- Regulation of microcirculation
- Removal of endotoxin
What are stellate cells?
Perisinusoidal fat/retinoid storing cells
Digestive functions of the liver
- Carb + fat metabolism
- Protein metabolism
- Storage of vitamins + minerals
What does cholesterol do?
- Establishes proper membrane permeability + fluidity
- Important for production of bile acids, steroid hormones + vitamin D