Liver and kidney system Flashcards
What are the functions of the liver?
- Uptake, stores and distributes nutrients
- Produces majority of circulating plasma proteins
- Stores iron
- Converts vitamins
- Degraded drugs and toxins
- Acts as an exocrine organ (produces bile) and performs endocrine-like functions
How does the liver receive blood?
Dual blood supply
Hepatic portal vein
Hepatic artery
State four structural components of the liver
- Parenchyma (plates of hepatocytes)
- Connective tissue stroma
- Sinusoidal capillaries
- Perisinusoidal spaces (of disse)
What three ways are used to describe the unit structure of the liver?
Classic lobule (polygonal shape)
Portal lobule (triangular shape)
Liver acinus (diamond shape, three zones)
How does each functional unit supply/drin?
‘Classic’ lovule: drained by a central vein
Portal lobule: by a portal triad
Liver acinus: by terminal branches of portal triad vessels
Where does the portal triad sit?
On the corners of the polygonal classic lobule
Outline hepatocytes
- 80% of the liver
- Large, polygonal cells
- Spherical nuclei, often binucleate
- Acidophilic cytoplasm
- Numerous mitochondria, peroxisomes and small golgi complexes
What does hepatocyte cytoplasm contain?
sER and rER
What are the two surfaces on hepatocytes and where do they contact?
Basal surface: contact with Perisinusoidal space of disse
Apical surface: connected to adjacent hepatocyte to form a bile canaliculus
Where do bile canaliculi drain?
Into the short canals of Hering
Then the intrahepatic bile ductule
Interlobular bile ducts (portal triad)
Right/left hepatic ducts
Common hepatic duct
Gallbladder
Bile duct
Duodenum
What form irregular vascular channels running parallel to the plates of hepatocytes?
Hepatic sinusoids
What is the space of disse?
Lies between hepatocytes and epithelium.
The site of exchange of materials between blood and liver cells.
What specialised sinusoidal macrophage-like cells are found in the sinusoidal epithelium?
Kuppfer cells, remove senile RBCs and recycle iron molecules
What do hepatic stellate cells do?
Reside in perisinusoidal spaces, loaded with lipid droplets for vitamin A storage
What does the urinary system contain?
2 Kidneys
2 Ureters
Bladder
Urethra
