Metabolism and the Many Roles of the Liver

Flashcards covering vocabulary related to liver functions, anatomy, and metabolic processes.

Liver

One of the largest body organs, weighing about 1.5 kg in a healthy adult and located in the right superior area of the abdominal cavity.

Hepatocytes

The main liver cells that are organized into lobules.

Lobule

A hexagonal unit of the liver consisting of organized hepatocytes.

Portal Triad

Consists of a bile duct, portal vein, and artery, located at the corners of each liver lobule.

Central Vein

The 'heart' of the liver lobule that collects blood after liver cells have processed it.

Hepatic Ligaments

Thin connective tissue structures that hold the liver in place, attaching it to the diaphragm or abdominal walls.

Porta Hepatis

The 'door to the liver' where most liver vessels and ducts converge, serving as the main entry and exit point.

Hepatic Portal Vein System

Collects blood from many organs in the abdominal cavity, draining capillaries of most abdominal organs before the blood reaches the rest of the circulatory system.

Sinusoids

Liver capillaries that have a discontinuous endothelium and are the location of stellate macrophages.

Bile

A fluid created and secreted by the liver containing water, inorganic molecules, bile salts, and bilirubin.

Gluconeogenesis

The process by which the liver creates new glucose from amino acids when blood glucose drops below a set point.

Detoxification

The process by which the liver breaks down substances like alcohol and drugs, preventing toxicity.

Cirrhosis

End-stage liver disease characterized by scar tissue replacing functional liver tissue.

Stellate Macrophages

Macrophages located in the liver that help recycle old red blood cells (RBCs) and their iron.

Somatomedins

Hormones secreted by the liver in response to growth hormone release from the anterior pituitary.

Angiotensinogen

A protein produced by the liver that is converted into angiotensin by Renin when blood pressure is low.

Thrombopoietin

A hormone that stimulates platelet formation, secreted by the liver.

Hepcidin

A hormone important for iron homeostasis, secreted by the liver.