Liver and Hepatobiliary System

Question 1

What is the location of the liver?

Answer 1

Right hypochondrium - spreads into the epigastric region.

Protected by the ribcage

Question 2

Is the liver intra or retero-peritoneal?

Answer 2

Intraperitoneal but has one part in direct contact with the diaphragm (bare area of the liver)

Question 3

Give some functions of the liver.

Answer 3

Production of bile
Conversion of glucose to glycogen
Production of cholesterol
Regulation of fats and amino acids
Detoxification
Stores iron

Question 4

What are the front and back surfaces of the liver called?

Answer 4

Front = costal surface (in with ribs)
Back = Visceral surface

Question 5

How many function lobes of the liver are there?

Answer 5

8 - 8 tributaries of the hepatic veins.

Question 6

Name the 4 anatomical lobes of the liver.

Answer 6

Left lobe
Caudate lobe (middle top)
Quadrate lobe (middle bottom)
Right lobe

Question 7

Which lobes of the liver does the left hepatic artery supply?

Answer 7

The left lobe, caudate lobe and quadrate lobe.

Question 8

What is the falciform ligament?

Answer 8

It lies between the left and right lobes of the liver anteriorly.
It attaches the anterior surface of the liver to the anterior abdominal wall.

Question 9

What is the coronary ligament?

Answer 9

Has both anterior and posterior fold at the top of the liver.
Attaches the superior wall of the liver to the diaphragm.

Question 10

What are the left and right triangular ligaments of the liver?

Answer 10

Formed by the union of the anterior and posterior layers of the coronary ligament.
Left - attaches the left lobe of the liver to the diaphragm.
Right -attaches the right lobe of the liver to the diaphragm.

Question 11

What is the porta hepatis?

Answer 11

Fissure in the liver that transmits the common hepatic artery, proper hepatic artery and hepatic portal vein

Question 12

What is the arterial supply of the gallbladder?

Answer 12

Right hepatic artery branches into the cystic artery which supplies the gall bladder.

Question 13

What is the arterial supply of the liver?

Answer 13

Common hepatic artery - branch of the coeliac trunk

Common hepatic artery then spits into the proper hepatic artery and the gastro duodenal artery.

Question 14

What is the venous drainage of the gall bladder?

Answer 14

Via the right branch of the hepatic portal vein.

Question 15

Outline the hepatic portal system

Answer 15

Inferior mesenteric vein (drains hindgut) drains into the splenic vein (drains foregut).
Superior mesenteric vein (drains midgut) and the splenic vein join to form the hepatic portal vein which passes into the liver.

Question 16

Where does the hepatic portal vein and renal veins drain into?

Answer 16

The inferior vena cava.

Question 17

Outline the biliary tract.

Answer 17

Left and right hepatic ducts drain into the common duct which joins to the gall bladder and down to join with the pancreatic duct.
The sphincter of oddi controls secretions into the 2nd part of the duodenum.

Question 18

Is the pancreas intra or retero peritoneal?

Answer 18

Retero peritoneal - sits in the C-shape of the duodenum

Question 19

What is the uncinate process?

Answer 19

Lower extension of the head of the pancreas.

Passes under the superior mesenteric artery

Question 20

Outline the function of the pancreas.

Answer 20

Endocrine - secretes insulin and glucagon into the blood stream
Exocrine - produces digestive enzyme which pass through ducts into the GI tract

Question 21

What is the blood supply of the pancreas?

Answer 21

Superior and inferior pancreato-duodenal arteries.

Splenic artery