Liver Structure and Function

Question 1

What are the 2 major and minor lobes of the liver?

Answer 1

Major: Right and Left
Minor: Caudate and Quadrate

Question 2

What 2 tissues cover the liver (except for the bare area)?

Answer 2

Connective tissue capsule

Visceral peritoneum

Question 3

What 3 vessels are in the Portal Triad?

Answer 3

Hepatic portal vein
Hepatic artery
Hepatic duct

Question 4

Where do hepatic cords radiate from?

Answer 4

Central veins from the hepatic veins

Question 5

What are hepatic cords composed of?

Answer 5

Hepatocytes

Question 6

What lies between the hepatocytes of hepatic cords?

Answer 6

Bile canaliculus (cleft-like lumen)

Question 7

What are the spaces between the hepatic cords that contain blood channels called?

Answer 7

Hepatic sinusoids

Question 8

What is the main role of the liver in the alimentary system?

Answer 8

To produce and secrete bile

Question 9

What are the 6 components of bile?

Answer 9

Bile acids
Lecithin
Cholesterol
Bile pigments (Bilirubin)
Toxic metals
Bicarbonate

Question 10

Which component of bile is not secreted by hepatocytes and what is it secreted by?

Answer 10

Bicarbonate - secreted by duct cells

Question 11

What are bile pigments?

Answer 11

Products of the breakdown of haemoglobin from damaged erythrocytes

Question 12

What is the main bile pigment?

Answer 12

Bilirubin

Question 13

How is bilirubin secreted into the bile?

Answer 13

Extracted from the blood by hepatocytes and secreted into bile

Question 14

What colour pigment does bilirubin turn when modified by bacterial enzymes?

Answer 14

Brown pigments

Question 15

How are bile acids synthesised?

Answer 15

In the liver from cholesterol

Question 16

What 2 substances can bile acids be conjugated with to from bile salts?

Answer 16

Glycine

Taurine

Question 17

What system are bile salts recycled via?

Answer 17

Enterohepatic circulation

Question 18

Where is the gallbladder located?

Answer 18

On the inferior surface of the liver

Question 19

What are the 3 layers in the wall of the gallbladder?

Answer 19

mucosa
muscularis
serosa

Question 20

What connects the gall bladder and the common bile duct?

Answer 20

The cystic duct

Question 21

What structure controls the release of bile and pancreatic juice into the duodenum?

Answer 21

Sphincter of Oddi

Question 22

When the Sphincter of Oddi is contracted what happens to the bile?

Answer 22

It is forced back into the gallbladder (where it gets more concentrated)

Question 23

What substance is released when fat is present in the duodenum?

Answer 23

CCK (Cholecystokinin)

Question 24

What effect does CCK have on the

(a) Sphincter of Oddi
(b) Gallbladder

Answer 24

(a) The Sphincter of Oddi relaxes

(b) The Gallbladder contracts

Question 25

What 2 substance does CCK promote the secretion of?

Answer 25

Pancreatic enzyme

Bile