Liver structure

Hepatic portal vein

Blood received from the digestive system. Allows it to absorb and metabolise nutrients absorbed into the blood in the small intestine.

Hepatic vein

Deoxygenated blood leaves the liver and returns to the heart, entering through the inferior vena cava.

Hepatic artery

Supplies the liver with oxygenated blood from the heart. Oxygen is used for respiration/metabolic activity of hepatocytes.

Hepatocytes

Liver cells. They have a large nuclei, prominent Golgi and lots of mitochondria.

Sinusoid

Space surrounding the hepatocytes where blood from the hepatic portal vein and hepatic artery is mixed.

Kupffer cells

Resident macrophages of the liver. Found in the sinusoids.

Canaliculi

The hepatocytes secretes bile from the breakdown of blood into these spaces. Drains into the bile ductules, which drains into the gall bladder.

Lobule

Sections of the liver created by hepatocytes. Each of these sections is supplied with blood from branches of the hepatic artery and hepatic portal vein

Central vein

Blood flows from here into the hepatic vein. It carries deoxygenated blood away from the lobule.