Liver Structure and Function Flashcards
What are the 2 major and minor lobes of the liver?
Major: Right and Left
Minor: Caudate and Quadrate
What 2 tissues cover the liver (except for the bare area)?
Connective tissue capsule
Visceral peritoneum
What 3 vessels are in the Portal Triad?
Hepatic portal vein
Hepatic artery
Hepatic duct
Where do hepatic cords radiate from?
Central veins from the hepatic veins
What are hepatic cords composed of?
Hepatocytes
What lies between the hepatocytes of hepatic cords?
Bile canaliculus (cleft-like lumen)
What are the spaces between the hepatic cords that contain blood channels called?
Hepatic sinusoids
What is the main role of the liver in the alimentary system?
To produce and secrete bile
What are the 6 components of bile?
Bile acids Lecithin Cholesterol Bile pigments (Bilirubin) Toxic metals Bicarbonate
Which component of bile is not secreted by hepatocytes and what is it secreted by?
Bicarbonate - secreted by duct cells
What are bile pigments?
Products of the breakdown of haemoglobin from damaged erythrocytes
What is the main bile pigment?
Bilirubin
How is bilirubin secreted into the bile?
Extracted from the blood by hepatocytes and secreted into bile
What colour pigment does bilirubin turn when modified by bacterial enzymes?
Brown pigments
How are bile acids synthesised?
In the liver from cholesterol
What 2 substances can bile acids be conjugated with to from bile salts?
Glycine
Taurine
What system are bile salts recycled via?
Enterohepatic circulation
Where is the gallbladder located?
On the inferior surface of the liver
What are the 3 layers in the wall of the gallbladder?
mucosa
muscularis
serosa
What connects the gall bladder and the common bile duct?
The cystic duct
What structure controls the release of bile and pancreatic juice into the duodenum?
Sphincter of Oddi
When the Sphincter of Oddi is contracted what happens to the bile?
It is forced back into the gallbladder (where it gets more concentrated)
What substance is released when fat is present in the duodenum?
CCK (Cholecystokinin)
What effect does CCK have on the
(a) Sphincter of Oddi
(b) Gallbladder
(a) The Sphincter of Oddi relaxes
(b) The Gallbladder contracts
What 2 substance does CCK promote the secretion of?
Pancreatic enzyme
Bile
