Liver physiology Flashcards
What are the functional units of the liver?
Lobules
Hepatic veins receive blood from where?
Central veins
Which zone of hepatocytes are periportal?
Zone I
Which zone of hepatocytes are pericentral?
Zone III
Which zone of hepatocytes are most oxygenated?
Zone I
Zone I hepatocytes specialise in which 3 functions?
Oxidative metabolism
Gluconeogenesis
Urea synthesis
Zone III hepatocytes specialise in which 3 functions?
Drug metabolism
Glycolysis
Lipogenesis
Sinusoids of the liver carry mixed blood from which 2 vessels?
Hepatic artery
Portal vein
Which cells are specialised macrophages found in the sinusoids of the liver?
Kupffer cells
What region is located between the sinusoids and hepatocytes?
Which cell is located in here?
Space of Disse
Lipocytes (stellate cells)
List the 6 components of bile?
Bile salts (bile acids conjugated with taurine or glycine)
Lecithin (a phospholipid)
HCO3-
Cholesterol
Bile pigments
Trace metals
Bile acids are derivatives of what?
Cholesterol
Bile acids can be conjugated with which 2 molecules to form bile salts?
Taurine
Glycine
What percentage of bile salts are recycled via the enterohepatic circulation?
95%
Cholesterol is synthesised from what?
Acetyl CoA
What is the main bile pigment?
Bilirubin
Does bilirubin travel in the blood freely or bound to albumin?
Bound to albumin
Once inside hepatocytes, what is bilirubin conjugated with?
Glucuronic acid
In the small intestine, bilirubin is digested by bacteria to produce what?
Urobilinogen
What percentage of urobilinogen is lost in faeces, and what percentage is recycled back to the liver?
90% lost in faeces
10% recycled back to liver
