Chemistry Liver Functions

Where does oxygenated blood frow from to the kidney?

Hepatic artery

Where does nutrient-rich blood flow from to the kidney?

Hepatic portal vein

What transports bile produced by the liver cells to the gallbladder and duodenum?

Hepatic duct

Bilirubin is the breakdown of what?

Hemoglobin

How long do RBCs survive?

120 days

What is the premature lysis of RBCs?

Hemolytic anemia

Unconjugated bilirubin is acted upon by ______, producing conjugated bilirubin

UDP glucuronyl transferase

What type of jaundice?

• Increased destruction of RBCs

• Increased bilirubin (unconjugated) and urobilinogen

• Endovascular: ABO

• Exovascular: Rh

Hemolytic jaundice (Prehepatic jaundice)

What type of jaundice?

• Normal lifespan of RBCs

• Conjugated bilirubin leaked back into circulation from liver due to hepatitis

• Bilirubin positive

• Increased urobilinogen

Hepatic jaundice (Intrahepatic jaundice)

What type of jaundice?

• Normal lifespan of RBCs

• Liver works fine

• Blockage in bile duct

• No flow of bilirubin in small intestine, no urobilinogen formed

• Urobilinogen negative

• Bilirubin positive

Obstructive jaundice (Extrahepatic obstructive jaundice)

How do you calculate the de ritis ratio?

AST/ALT

AST/ALT > 2 is most likely

Alcoholic liver disease

AST/ALT < 1 is most likely

Viral hepatitis

AST/ALT between 1-2 is most likely

Cirrhosis

What is the ALT to AST ratio in healthy people?

ALT > AST

Yellowing staining of skin and sclerae by abnormally high blood levels of bilirubin

Jaundice

Yellow staining of lipid-rch meninges of brain and spinal cord

Kernicterus

Decolorization caused by elevated carotenoids levels in blood

Hypercarotenemia

Chronic inflammation and replacement of normal liver tissue with nonfunctional, nodular fibrotic tissue

Cirrhosis

What can cause cancerous tumors in the liver?

• Long standing cases of cirrhosis

• Chronic infection with hepatitis B

• Chronic infection with hepatitis C

Accumulation of triglycerides and other fats in liver cells. May be accompanied by hepatic inflammation and liver cell death

Fatty liver disease

Chronic hepatitis is defined by elevated liver enzymes for more than ___________

6 months