Liver, pancreas and gallbladd Flashcards
What is the largest visceral organ and gland in the body?
liver
What is the approximate weight of the liver
1500g
Describe the correct anatomical location of the liver
-almost all the right hypochondrium and epigastrium - extends into the left hypochondrium - inferior to the diaphragm
What is the liver covered with?
denses fibrous capsule
Describe 10 functions of the liver
- Production and secretion of bile (emulsification of fats)
- Production of bile pigments (bilirubin and biliverdin) from the breakdown of hemoglobin
- Detoxification (by filtering the blood to remove bacteria and foreign particles that have gained entrance from the intestine)
- Storage of carbohydrate as glycogen (later breakdown to glucose)
- Production and storage of lipids as triglycerides Plasma protein synthesis (albumin and globulin)
- Production of blood coagulants (coagulation factors I, II, V, VII, IX, X and XI
- Production of Anticoagulants (heparin, protein C, protein S and antithrombin )
- Reservoir for blood and platelets
- Storage of certain vitamins (B12), iron, and copper
- In the fetus – production of red blood cells
Describe the anatomical lobes of the liver?


How are the two superficial lobes of the liver created?
The Caudate and Quadrate lobes are reflections of peritoneum from the livers surface, the fissures formed in relation to the reflections and the vessels serving the liver and gall bladder.
Based on Hepatic drainage and blood supply how many real lobes are in the liver?
Two lobes: right and left
What is the right lobe divided into?
anterior and posterior segments which are than subdivided into superior and inferior segments
What is the left lobe of the lung divided into?
Medial and lateral segments which are further divided into superior and inferior segments
Medial superior segment is Caudate lobe
Medial inferior segment is Quadrate lobe
Why could the caudate lobe be considered a third liver?
-it has vasculation independent of the bifurcation of the portal triad
- revieves vessels from both bundles
- drained by one or two small hepatic viens (enter directly into IVC)
Which lobes hepatic viens enter directly into the IVC?
Caudate lobe
What ducts combine to form the common bile duct?
- from the liver the right and left hepatic duct form the common hepatic duct
- cystic duct
Where does bile accumulate between meals?
Gallbladder
Describe the surfaces of the liver
- diaphragmatic surface (convex shaped)
- visceral surface (concave)
- inferior border
- subphrenic recesses (seperated by falciform ligament)
- subhepatic space
- hepatorenal recess

What is the subphrenic recesses?
- superior extension of the peritoneal cavity (greater sac) exist between the diaphragm and the anterior and superior aspects of the diaphragmatic surface of the liver
- subdivided by the falciform ligament which extends between the liver and the anterior abdominal wall.

What is the Falciform ligament
A ligament that seperates the right and left recesses of the subphrenic recess.

What is the subhepatic space?
portion of the supracolic compartment of the peritoneal cavity immediately inferior to the liver

What is the Hepatorenal recess or Morison pounch?
Posteriorsuperior extension of the subhepatic space
lies between right part of the visceral surface of the liver and kidney and suprerenal gland.

What is the lowest gravity dependent part of the peritoneal cavity?
hepatorenal recess or Morison pouch
What drains into the hepatorenal recess?
Fluid from the omental bursa
What does the hepatorenal recess communicate anteriorly with?
right subphrenic recess
What is peritonitis? and what are some common sites for it to occue
Peritonitis is inflammation of the peritoneal cavity
- localized abscesses in various parts of the peritoneal cavity
- subphrenic recess common on right side
- because site of ruptured appendix and perforated duodenal ulcers
- pus from subphrenic recess may drain into hepatorenal recesses in bedridden patients
- subphrenic recess common on right side
What happens to bedridden patients with an abscess to the subphrenic recess?
fluid drains into the hepatorenal recess











