Liver structure and function

Question 1

Where is the liver anatomically?

Answer 1

upper right quadrant of abdomen underneath the diaphragm

Question 2

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

Answer 2

right and left

caudal and quadrate

Question 3

What is the porta?

Answer 3

The entry and exit point for all blood vessels, ducts, lymphatics and nerves to the liver

Question 4

Where is the porta and what is its structure?

Answer 4

branched connective tissue capsule and the septa offer support

Question 5

Explain the coming together of the hepatic duct to enter the sphincter of oddi

Answer 5

Connects with the cystic duct from the gallbladder to form the common bile duct which connects with the pancreatic duct to enter into the sphincter of oddi in the duodenum

Question 6

What is the falciform ligament and where is it?

Answer 6

separates the left and right lobe

Question 7

What does the coronary ligament attach the liver to?

Answer 7

The diaphragm

Question 8

What area of the liver is NOT covered in peritoneum?

Answer 8

bare area as the coronary ligament passes over it

Question 9

Where is the lesser omentum situated?

Answer 9

Between the liver and the stomach

Question 10

What 3 things make up the portal triad?

Answer 10

hepatic portal vein, hepatic artery and hepatic duct

Question 11

Is the liver in pentagonal, hexagonal or decagonal lobules?

Answer 11

hexagonal

Question 12

How does the central vein drain into the IVC?

Answer 12

via the hepatic vein

Question 13

What are the hepatic cords made from?

Answer 13

Hepatocytes

Question 14

What are located between hepatocytes?

Answer 14

bile canaliculi

Question 15

What are hepatic sinusoids?

Answer 15

Spaces between hepatic cords - blood channels

Question 16

Is the blood from the alimentary canal oxygen rich/poor and nutrient rich/blood?

Answer 16

oxygen poor

nutrient rich

Question 17

Where does hepatic portal vein blood and hepatic artery blood mix?

Answer 17

hepatic sinusoids

Question 18

Where does blood in the hepatic sinusoids drain?

Answer 18

central vein, hepatic veins, IVC

Question 19

What are hepatocytes responsible for?

Answer 19

bile synthesis
nutrient storage and interconversion
detoxification

Question 20

Where does bile made in the hepatocytes drain to?

Answer 20

canaliculi and to hepatic duct

Question 21

What is the main function of the liver?

Answer 21

production and secretion of bile

Question 22

What is bile made up from?

Answer 22

bile acids, lecithin, cholesterol (synthesised in liver and solubilise fat)
toxic metals, bile pigment, bicarbonate

Question 23

What is the one constituent of bile made from duct cells and not hepatocytes?

Answer 23

bicarbonate

Question 24

What are bile pigments from?

Answer 24

breakdown products of haemoglobin from old/damaged RBC - extracted as blood passes through sinusoids

Question 25

What extracts bilirubin from the blood?

Answer 25

hepatocytes

Question 26

What colour does bilirubin make bile?

Answer 26

yellow

Question 27

How does bilirubin effect faeces and urine?

Answer 27

colon bacterial enzymes modify it to brown | reabsorbed and excreted in urine

Question 28

What are bile acids made from?

Answer 28

cholesterol in the liver

Question 29

What does bile acids combine with and why?

Answer 29

glycine/taurine - amino acid | to increase water solubility

Question 30

How are bile salts recycled?

Answer 30

via the enterohepatic circulation

Question 31

Explain the movement of bile not into the gallbladder from the liver and back again

Answer 31

to the bile duct, duodenum, ileum, absorbed into hepatic portal vein and into liver

Question 32

Where anatomically is the gallbladder?

Answer 32

inferior surface of the liver and it is a sac

Question 33

What does the mucosa have to help with expansion in the gallbladder?

Answer 33

rugae

Question 34

How does the gallbladder join to the common bile duct?

Answer 34

cystic duct

Question 35

What does the sphincter of Oddi control?

Answer 35

bile and pancreatic juice entry to duodenum

Question 36

What does the gallbladder do to bile?

Answer 36

concentrate it | absorb sodium and water

Question 37

What does fat in the duodenum lead to the release of?

Answer 37

CCK

Question 38

What does CCK do to the sphincter of oddi and secretions?

Answer 38

relaxes and gallbladder contracts | pancreatic enzyme and bile secretion

Question 39

What does bile into the duodenum do to fat?

Answer 39

solubilise it

Question 40

Generally what does secretin do and what does CCK do?

Answer 40

neutralisation | digestion

Question 41

What do CCK and secretin do to gastric emptying?

Answer 41

decrease it