The Liver Flashcards
describe the liver
this is a major organ that functions in metabolism of materials absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, as well as storing glycogen and releasing glucose
what are some of the functions of the liver
- metabolism of materials absorbed from the git, storing glycogen and releasing glucose
- protein synthesis
- inactivation of hormones and drugs
- excretion of waste
- bile production
how big is the liver
around 1.5 kilos and is usually larger in males
what colour is the liver
red brown
how does the liver function in digestion
it is an accessory organ for digestion as it produces bile which goes on to be stored and concentrated in the gall bladder.
detoxifies and processes everything absorbed from the git and regulates glucose in the blood
which proteins are synthesised in the liver
clotting factors and platelet regulations
what can the liver inactivate
hormones
drugs
insulin
many waste products
why can the metabolism of drugs in the liver be of detriment
when the product of metabolism is more toxic than the inital compound, such as in use of paracetamol
where is the liver located in the abdomen
right hypochondrium, extending over to the epigastric region and to the left hypochondrium
what is the largest gland in the body
the liver
which internal organ is the heaviest
the liver
how many lobes are there on the liver
four
what is the liver covered by
lower ribs and costal cartilage
what is the falciform ligament
embryological remnant of ventral mesentery and attaches to the intestines to the posterior abdominal wall
what is the round ligament
a remnant of the umbilical vein
sometimes continuous with the ligamentum venosum, which is a fibrous remnant of the ductus venosus
what does the ductus venosus do
direct blood in fetal life
how is the liver supplied with blood
through a dual supply
for how much of blood flow do the hepatic arteries account for
25%
what does the hepatic artery do
provide oxygenated blood for the liver
what carries blood from the glut spleen and related organs to the liver
the hepatic portal vein
what do the intrahepatic ducts unite to form
the left and right extrahepatic ducts which link to the common hepatic duct
what does the common hepatic duct come from
the left and right hepatic ducts which carry bile to the gall bladder
what carries bile to the gall bladder
the left and right hepatic ducts
what is the liver made up of
hexagonal hepatic lobules containing liver cells
what are the liver cells
hepatocytes
what do liver cells or hepatocytes produce
bile
what produces bile in the liver
hepatocytes
what does bile contain
lipid emulsifiers and waste products including bile pigments
what would the lipid emulsifiers contain in bile be
bile salts
what would the bile pigments contained in bile be
bilirubin
where is bile stored and concentrated
the gall bladder
what do bile salts do
they help cholesterol metabolism and aid absorption of fat soluble vitamins
what is bilirubin
a breakdown product of red blood cell metabolism
how is bilirubin excreted
faeces
why is shit brown x
bilirubin produced from red blood cell metabolism is a pigment released in the faeces
what is the function of bilirubin
antioxidant
what does the hepatic portal vein do
drains unpaired abdominal organs like the stomach, small intestine, large intestine, spleen, etc and takes all the absorbed material to the liver
what percentage of blood supplied to the liver comes from the hepatic portal vein
75%
what happens to material once it has been absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract
enters the hepatic portal vein to pass through the liver and be processed
which vessels does the hepatic portal vein come from
the splenic and the superior mesenteric veins
is the spleen avascular
no it is highly vascular
what does the bulk of the blood going into the hepatic portal vein come from
the spleen
which organs supply blood to the splenic portion of the hepatic portal vein
the spleen provides the bulk. some blood comes from the inferior mesenteric vein
describe the route of the blood in the hepatic portal vein
blood carried from the gastrointestinal tract, pancreas and spleen to thel iver
is the hepatic portal vein a true vein and explain your answer
no, as it conducts blood to the capillaries of the liver rather than to the heart
what does the hepatic portal vein receive blood from
inferior mesenteric, stomach and gall bladder
what is the hepatic artery a branch of
the coeliac trunk
what is the blood supply of the liver
the hepatic artery and the hepatic portal vein
how is blood processed in the liver
blood from the hepatic artery and hepatic portal vein flow past hepatocytes in sinusoids, which drain to the hepatic vein. bile flows in the opposite direction to the blood
what is the central vein divided into
three parts called the portal triad
describe the portal triad
the portal vein, the hepatic artery and the bile canaliculus
what are sinusoids
capillaries with a larger diameter than normal capillaries that has specialised lining endothelial cells with a main role in clearing blood waste.
what are kupffer cells
specialised macrophages
how does the liver function in related to iron
stores and metabolises iron, which is then used by red blood cells for oxygen transport proteins like haemoglobin
what are some disorders of the liver
hepatomegaly
cirrhosis
obstructive jaundice
hepatic carcinoma
what is hepatomegaly
an enlarged liver which is a sign of underlying problems with the liver itself, or cardiac failure or cancer metastasis
presents with abdominal pain, fatique, nausea, vomiting and jaundice
what is jaundice a symptom of
many conditions
what is cirrhosis
scarring or fibrosis of the liver. caused by inflammation like hepatitis or chronic alcoholism
what is obstructive jaundice caused by
pancreatic cancer and gall stones
what is hepatic carcinoma caused by
primary liver cancer, linked to chronic liver disease and cirrhosis. may require surgery, liver transplant or chemotherapy. it is the most common primary liver cancer
what is ERCP
endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography
describe the route of an ERCP
scope is fed into the oral cavity, into the back of the pharynx, down the oesophagus, into the stomach toward the duodenum. at the major papilla, dye is projected upward to give an outline of the tubes and highlight any blockages
what does the cystic duct control
secretions in and out of the gall bladder
what does retrograde mean
something is going backward
