Basic Science: Liver

Aviska Zahra - 1610211128

 Introduction
• Two groups of organs compose the digestive
system:
– The GI Tract; is a continous tube that extends from
the mouth that extends from the mouth to the
anus through the thoracic and abdominopelvic
cavities.
– The accessory digestive organs; never come into
direct contact with food but they produce or store
secretions that flow into the GI Tract through the
ducts
 Liver
• Is the heaviest gland of the body, weighing
about 1.4 kg in an average adult.
• Location: inferior to the diaphragm and
occupies most of the right hypochondriac and
part of the epigastric regions of the
abdominopelvic cavity.
 Gallbladder
• Is a pear shaped sac that is located in a
depression of the posterior surface of the
liver.
• It is 7-10 cm long and typically hangs from the
anterior inferior margin of the liver.
 Histology of Liver
• Composed of several components:
– Hepatocytes: the major functional cells of the liver
and perform a wide array of metabolic, secretory and
endocrine functions. Make up about 80% of the
volume of the liver.
– Bile canaliculi: small ducts between hepatocytes that
collect bile produced by hepatocytes
– Hepatic sinusoids: highly permeable blood capilaries
between rows of hepatocytes that received
oxygenated blood from branches of hepatic artery and
nutrient-rich deoxygenated blood from branches of
hepatic portal vein. Converge and deliver blood into a
central vein and flows into the hepatic veins.