Liver

- Largest gland/largest visceral organ of the body

- Compound acinar gland; multicellular
- Exocrine and Endocrine in function
- Embryonic Origin: Endoderm
- Most of its surface is covered by peritoneum
- Divisible into right and left lobe
- Posterior surface: has Porta Hepatis - serves as the hilus through
which blood vessels and hepatic duct pass.
- Porta hepatis is a deep transfer layer.

Exocrine function Endocrine function

Secretes bile through a Synthesises or secretes
system of bile duct. substances such as glucose or
proteins or lipoprotein that are
released directly into the
bloodstream

Diagrammatic picture of a liver

Types of Hepatic Lobule:
 Classical hepatic lobule
- Hexagonal in shape/outline.
- Mass of liver cells or parenchyma that surrounds a central
vein.
 Portal lobule
- Mass of liver parenchyma surrounding portal canals
- Bounded by imaginary lines of central veins joining three
adjacent hepatic lobules.
- Triangular in outline
 Liver acinus or Rappaports lobule
- Mass of liver parenchyma associated with the terminal
branches of the portal triad that run along the sides of the
Right lobe is larger than the left lobe. The diaphragm divides the hexagon.
abdominal cavity and the thoracic cavity - These branches leave the portal canal to the central veins
of two adjacent classical hepatic lobules.
Blood Supply - Diamond in outline
● Portal vein brings blood from the intestines.
o Afferent blood vessel carrying blood to the liver from the
digestive tract and the spleen.
● Hepatic vein brings blood from the liver back to the heart.
o Efferent blood vessel that drains blood from the liver to the
inferior vena cava.
● Hepatic artery brings blood from the heart to the liver.
o Afferent blood vessel that carries oxygenated blood to the
liver from the celiac artery of the abdominal aorta.

Structure:
- stroma is the supportive framework
A. Glisson’s capsule: Portal areas or Portal canal or Kierman’s
space
- Made up of thin but strong fibrous connective tissue
covering the surface of the gland then extends into the Picture of portal lobule
substance of the gland dividing it into lobules.
- Portal areas - thickening of the Glisson’s capsule at the
angles of the liver lobules (hexagonal); contains lymphatuc
vessels and portal triads.
- Portal triads consist of interlobular branches of the portal
vein, hepatic artery and bile duct.
B. Parenchyma
- Made up of liver cells arranged in cords.
- Liver cords are arranged radially with regards to the central
veins.
- Central veins are the terminal branches of the hepatic vein;
subdivided into smaller units called liver lobules. Liver acinus, classical and portal lobule
C. Reticular Fiber Network
- Supporting tissue of the liver parenchyma. Detailed Structure of Liver
A. Liver cells or hepatocytes
- Polygonal in shape with 6 or more surfaces
- One side is exposed to the perisinusoidal space - the surface
of the cell membrane facing the perisinusoidal is provided
with microvilli.
- One side is in contact with adjacent liver cells
 - One side is exposed to the lumen of bile canaliculi
B. Nucleus
- Large, round, vary in size from cell to cell
- Vesicular with few scattered chromatin clumps, 1 to 4 in
number with 1 or more prominent nucleoli
C. Cytoplasm
- Rough endoplasmic reticulum are large and form aggregates
giving the cytoplasm a strongly basophilic reaction.
- After a prolonged fast, these basophilic bodies are reduced
in size and number and the cytoplasm is mainly eosinophilic.
- The staining reaction of cytoplasm varies with the state of
nutrition of the individual.

Structure Associated with Liver Cells

A. Hepatic Sinusoids
- Modified capillary channels lined between hepatic cords by 2
types of cells: Structure
- Endothelial cells; flattened cells lining the sinusoid A. Tunica Mucosa
- Von Kupffer Cells; stellate shaped with large darker staining - Thrown into frequent folds or rugae
nucleus often bulges into the lumen of the sinusoid - Lining epi: simple columnar epi
- Von Kupffer cells are the/abundant source of fixed - Basement mem: usually indistinct
macrophages. - Lamina prop:
B. Perisinusoidal Space (Space of Disse) - Made up of delicate, richly vascular connective tissue and
- Narrow space between the endothelial cells and solitary lymph nodule
hepatocytes. - Glands are generally absent
- The space into which the microvilli of liver cells project. - Muscularis muco: absent
- Cannot be identified in microscope. B. Tunica Submucosa- absent
- Needs light microscope. C. Tunica Muscularis
C. Bile Canaliculi - Irregular network of longitudinal, transverse, and oblique muscle
- Minute canals that run between liver cells throughout the fibres
liver parenchyma.
- Drains into the smallest bile duct that is found in the
periphery of classical hepatic lobule, known as the Canal of
Hering (smallest bile duct).

Intrahepatic Blood Circulation

Aorta -> Abdominal Aorta -> Hepatic Artery -> Digestive tract
arteries -> Hepatic portal vein -> Capillaries of the liver -> Hepatic
Vein -> Inferior vena cava -> Heart

Bile Flow

Liver cell -> Bile Canaliculi -> Canal of Hering -> Interlobular Duct ->
Hepatic Duct -> Cystic Duct -> Gallbladder

Gallbladder
- Hollow pear-shaped saccular organ
- Located in the visceral surface of the right lobe of the liver
- Divisible into fundus, body, and neck
- Function: storage, and concentration and release of bile