The liver is the hugest organ in your body. It is located below the diaphragm in the right upper quadrant of the abdominal cavity. A human’s liver weighs approximately 3 pounds, and extends approximately from the right 5th rib to the lower border of the rib cage.
The liver is separated into a left and right lobe, separated by the falciform ligament. The left lobe is much smaller than the right lobe. The working cells of the liver are known as hepatocytes. Hepatocytes have a unique capacity to multiply in response to liver injury.
Liver regeneration can happen after surgical removal of a portion of the liver, or after injuries that destroy parts of the liver. Even thoughthe liver’s capability to react to harm and repair itself is remarkable, repetitive insults can produce liver failure and death. The liver is a metabolically active organ responsible for many crucial life functions.
The liver manag emost chemical levels in the blood, and excretes a product called bile. It helps carry waste products from the liver. All the blood leaving the stomach, and intestines passes through the liver.
The liver processes this blood and breaks it down, balances, and creates the nutrients, and also metabolizes drugs into forms that are easier to use for the rest of the body, or that are nontoxic. More than 500 crucial functions have been identified with the liver. Some of the more well-known functions include the following:
- Production of particular proteins for blood plasma.
- Production of bile, which helps get rid of waste and breaks down fat in the small intestine during digestion.
- Conversion of excess glucose to glycogen for storage (glycogen can later be converted back into glucose for energy) and to balance and make glucose as needed.
- Production of cholesterol and special proteins to help carry fat throughout the body.
- Processing of hemoglobin for the use of its iron content (liver stores iron).
- Regulation of the levels of amino acids in the blood, which form the building blocks of protein.
- Fights infection by creating immune factors and removing bacteria from the bloodstream
- Conversion of toxic ammonia to urea (urea is the end product of protein metabolism and is excreted in the urine)
- Cleans the blood of drugs and other toxic substances
- Regulating blood clotting
- Clearance of bilirubin, also from red blood cells. If there is accumulation of bilirubin, the skin and eyes become yellow.
