Liver physiology

Question 1

liver anatomy

Answer 1

two lobes, made of 8 lobules each, each lobule made of central vein, radiating sinusoids, bile ducts and hepatocytes

Question 2

vascular structure of the liver

Answer 2

blood delivered via hepatic arteries and removed via hepatic vein, bile ducts gather and form common bile duct, hepatic portal vein carries deoxygenated but nutrient rich blood from stomach to liver

Question 3

anatomy of hepatic lobules

Answer 3

hexagonal, with a central vein surrounded by the portal triad - mainly made of hepatocytes, kupffer cells and stellate cells

Question 3

what is the portal triad

Answer 3

hepatic artery, portal vein and bile duct branches

Question 4

what are the immune cells found in hepatic lobules

Answer 4

kupffer cells

Question 4

what role to stellate cells play in liver disease

Answer 4

fibroid formation

Question 5

what are the main functions of the liver

Answer 5

metabolism, immunity, storage, detoxification, synthesis, endocrine, catabolism, activation, transport and excretion

Question 6

the livers role in metabolism

Answer 6

carbohydrate - stores glucose and glycogen - glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis
lipids - cholesterol and lipoprotein synthesis
proteins - non-essential amino acid synthesis and breakdown for excretion

Question 7

the livers role in immunity

Answer 7

carried out by reticuloendothelial system, kupffer cells phagocytose bacteria from portal vein, stellate cells are APCs

Question 8

the livers role in detoxification

Answer 8

elimination of nitrogenous waste and detoxification of drugs

Question 9

phases of metabolism

Answer 9

1- cyp450
2 - conjugation to become more hydrophilic

Question 10

the livers role in synthesis

Answer 10

hormones
plasma proteins - co ag proteins
iron transport and metabolism

Question 11

how does the liver transport and metabolise iron

Answer 11

• Transferrin transports iron in the blood
• Haptoglobin binds free haemoglobin in the blood
• Hemopexin binds free haem in the blood

Question 12

the livers endocrine role

Answer 12

modification of vit D, T4 to T3 and degradation of hormones

Question 13

the livers role in excretion

Answer 13

excretes cholesterol and bilirubin

Question 14

what is bile

Answer 14

• Aqueous alkaline fluid containing
  ○ Bile salts
  ○ Cholesterol
  ○ Lethicin
  ○ Bilirubin

Question 15

what is the role of bile

Answer 15

Actively secreted by the liver and actively diverted to the gall bladder between meals, after a meal bile enters the duodenum

Question 16

what are bile salts

Answer 16

derivatives of cholesterol that convert large fat globules into an emulsion