GROSS ANATOMY &

HISTOLOGY OF LIVER
Prepared by: Anish Dhakal (Aryan)
anishdhakal718@gmail.com
MBBS Student
Patan Academy of Health Sciences
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OBJECTIVES
• To describe the gross anatomy of liver
• To describe histology of liver
• Location: Right
Hypochondrium,
epigastrium and Left
Hypochondrium

• Colour: Reddish brown

• Shape: wedge shaped

• Weight: 1.5 kg

• Both endocrine and

exocrine functions
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EXTERNAL FEATURES
Five surfaces
• Anterior
• Posterior
• Superior
• Inferior
• Right
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• Diaphragmatic surfaces:
(superior ,anterior, right,
some parts of posterior)
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Visceral surface : (posterioinferior surface)

• H shaped arrangement
• 2 Vertical bars
Left side: fissures for ligamentum teres & ligamentum
venosum
Right side: IVC groove and gallbladder
• Horizontal bar: Porta hepatis
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• Impressions of various
organs including
stomach, duodenum
right colon, right kidney
and suprarenal gland
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HEPATIC SPACES &

RECESSES
• Subphrenic recesses:
 superior extensions of peritoneal cavity
between diaphragm and diagphragmatic surface of
liver
• Subhepatic space
• Hepatorenal recesses(Morison pouch):
Posteriosuperior extension of subhepatic space
between right visceral liver and right kidney &
suprarenal gland
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DIVISION OF LIVER
• Anatomical lobes: Left and Right (demarcated by the
attachment of falciform ligament)
• Lower border of ligament: ligamentum teres hepatis
• Parts of anatomic right lobe:
Quadrate lobe
Caudate lobe (with a papillary process)
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FUNCTIONAL SUBDIVISION
 BLOOD SUPPLY

• Having dual blood supply through

1. Hepatic artery (accounts 20%)
2. Portal vein (80%)
• Inside Liver they divide to form Interlobular vessels
which run in the portal canals
• Further subdivisions of the interlobular branches open
into the hepatic sinusoids
• Thus hepatic arterial blood mixes with the portal
venous blood in the sinusoids
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LYMPHATIC DRAINAGE
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INNERVATIONS
• Derived from Hepatic Plexus
• Sympathetic fibres of plexus from:
Celiac Plexus
• Parasympathetic Fibers from:
Anterior and posterior vagal trunks
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HISTOLOGY OF LIVER
• Parenchyma
 organized plates of hepatocytes

• Connective tissue stroma

 Continuous with the fibrous capsule of Glisson
 Contains blood vessels, nerves, lymphatic vessels and bile ducts

• Sinusoidal capillaries (sinusoids)

 Vascular channels between the plates of hepatocytes

• Perisinusoidal space (spaces of Disse)

 Lies between the sinusoidal endothelium and the hepatocytes
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LIVER LOBULES
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• Classic lobule
 Roughly hexagonal
 At angles- portal area occupied by portal triads
 At center- terminal hepatic lobule (central vein)
 anastomosing system of sinusoids

• Portal lobule
 Roughly Triangular
 Outer margin are imaginary lines drawn between the 3
central veins that are closest to that portal triad
(explains exocrine bile secreting function of the liver)
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• Liver Acinus
Diamond shaped
Short axis of the acinus is
terminal branches of portal
triad that lie along the
border of 2 classic lobules
Long axis is a line drawn
between 2 central veins
closest to the short axis
(explains blood perfusion,
metabolic activity, oxygen
supply and liver pathologies)
 PERISINUSOIDAL SPACE
(SPACE OF DISSE)

• Between the basal surface of hepatocytes and the

endothelial surface and Kupffer cells lining the sinusoids
• Sinusoids contain thin discontinuous endothelium with
large fenestrae
• Lymph formation takes place in this space
• Exchange area for liver and also secretion other than
the bile
• Ito cells (stellate cells) are present normally in
quiescent stage in absence of liver pathology
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