Liver and gallbladder

The liver and gallbladder




The structure of the liver

The liver, weighing approximately 1.5 kg, is the largest gland in the body.

Vesica fellea = gallbladder



The liver's blood supply

The portal vein system = vena portae.

It is a capillary network where the blood must flow through two before it
can flow further.

, Because the blood comes from the digestive tract, it will contain digested
nutrients, vitamins, minerals and water that have been absorbed through
the intestinal wall into the blood.

The blood could also contain drugs, alcohol and harmful substances.

The liver can compare the nutrient content of arterial blood and portal
blood. When the blood leaves the liver, it contains an appropriate
composition of nutrients, e.g. glucose, amino acids and harmful
substances have been removed.



Liver tissue




 Liver cells lie in rows on top of each other and around a central vein.
 Branches from the portal vein and hepatic artery converge and flow
between the liver cells into the large liver capillaries.
 The blood from the liver capillaries collects in the central vein and
continues towards the inferior vena cava.
 Liver cells can absorb and remove harmful substances from the
blood.
 For example, they can form and secrete plasma proteins into the
blood.
 Liver macrophages help remove microorganisms from the blood.