Digestive Organs: Liver and Pancreas - Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and their meanings related to the liver and pancreas from the lecture notes.

Liver

Largest solid organ located under the right ribs; filters blood, stores energy, and produces bile to digest fats.

Pancreas

Gland behind the stomach, about the length of a hand; produces digestive enzymes (pancreatic juice) and hormones (including insulin) to regulate blood sugar.

Bile

Green digestive fluid produced by the liver that helps digest fats.

Gallbladder

Small sac that stores and concentrates bile; bile flows from the liver through ducts to the gallbladder and into the small intestine.

Bile ducts

Tubes carrying bile from the liver to the gallbladder and small intestine.

Common hepatic duct

Duct that carries bile from the liver toward the gallbladder and small intestine.

Right lobe of liver

One of the two main lobes of the liver.

Left lobe of liver

The other main lobe of the liver.

Lobule

Tiny functional unit of the liver through which bile is produced and routed to bile ducts.

Head of pancreas

Part of the pancreas located near the small intestine.

Body of pancreas

Central part of the pancreas.

Tail of pancreas

Part of the pancreas toward the spleen.

Pancreatic juice

A mixture of digestive enzymes produced by the pancreas that digests proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.

Digestive enzymes

Enzymes within pancreatic juice that help break down proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.

Insulin

Hormone produced by the pancreas that helps cells absorb glucose from the bloodstream.

Glucose

A sugar in the blood whose level is controlled by insulin.

Regeneration (liver)

The liver’s unique ability to regenerate itself after injury or loss of tissue.

Autodigestion (pancreas)

The pancreas’ capacity, as noted in the notes, to digest itself.

Not directly in the digestive tract

Liver and pancreas are not inside the digestive tract; they release enzymes/fluids to aid digestion.