Structure of the liver

What is the hepatic artery?

Supplies the liver with oxygenated blood from the heart

What does the hepatic vein do?

Carries deoxygenated blood away from the liver

What does the hepatic portal vein do?

Brings blood from the duodenum (small intestine) rich in products of digestion. Ingested harmful substances can be removed or broken down straight away

What does the bile duct do?

Takes bile that is produced by the liver to the gall bladder to be stored

What is the liver made up of?

Lobules - cylindrical structures made of hepatocytes

What does each lobule have?

A central vein (branches of the hepatic vein)

What else is connected to each lobule?

Branches of the hepatic artery, hepatic portal vein and bile duct

What are sinusoids?

Hepatic artery and hepatic portal vein are connected to the central vein by capillaries called sinusoids

What route does the blood running through the sinusoids take?

Past hepatocyte cells and kupffer cells (which act as macrophages - ingesting and breaking down bacteria and old red blood cells)

What are bile cancliculi?

Hepatocytes synthesise and secrete bile into a system of tiny bile canaliculi which are present between adjacent hepatocytes, the bile then flows into a branch of the bile duct