The Liver and its Functions

Vocabulary flashcards about the liver and its functions.

Liver

The second largest organ in the body, divided into right and left lobes.

Hepatocytes

Cells of the liver, responsible for synthesizing bile.

Hepato

Prefix meaning liver.

Gallbladder

Structure associated with the liver that stores bile.

Hepatic arteries

Supplies oxygenated blood to the liver.

Hepatic portal vein

Supplies nutrient-rich blood from the intestinal tract to the liver.

Hepatic veins

Drain venous blood from the liver, emptying into the inferior vena cava.

Hepatocytes

Specialized epithelial cells that make up the liver, often hexagonal in shape.

Microvilli

Folds in the cell membrane that maximize surface area for interaction with blood in sinusoids.

Sinusoids

Widened venules in the liver where blood flows, allowing interaction with hepatocytes.

Bile canaliculi

Interconnected tunnels or troughs on the lateral surfaces of hepatocytes, containing bile.

Lobules

Functional units of the liver composed of layered sheets of hepatocytes.

Central vein

Vein at the center of each liver lobule, where blood exits the lobule.

Portal triad

Collection of a branch of the hepatic artery, hepatic portal vein, and bile duct at the corners of the lobule.

Gluconeogenesis

The process of producing glucose from non-carbohydrate sources, triggered by cortisol.

Deamination

Process by which amino acids are used for other things by removing the amino groups.

Urea

A safer elimination product of amino acids after deamination.

Conjugation of bilirubin

The process of making bilirubin more soluble in the liver.

Right hepatic duct

Duct that drains all the small ductiles from the right lobe of the liver.

Cystic duct

Duct that drains the stored bile from the gallbladder.

Common bile duct

Formed by the merger of the common hepatic duct and the cystic duct.

Fatty liver

Accumulation of triglycerides in liver cells, indicating early liver irritation.

Cirrhosis

Replacement of hepatocyte tissue with scar tissue due to chronic liver irritation.

Portal hypertension

Condition caused by a backlog of blood into the liver as a result of cirrhosis.

Varicose veins (esophageal)

Bulging of smaller vessels in the esophagus due to portal hypertension.

Ascites

Fluid buildup in the abdominal pelvic cavity due to back pressure from portal hypertension.