How 10 Functions Of The Liver Can Ease Your Life
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The liver is a critical organ that performs over 500 activities in the body.
In the movement of blood throughout the body, the liver has a vital role. All of the blood that exits the stomach and intestines is filtered by the liver.
The question arises, why does our liver require oxygen and nutrients from our bloodstream? Well, all the blood that exits the stomach and intestines passes through the liver. To fulfill its function, the liver requires adequate blood circulation. The hepatic artery helps supply blood that is oxygenated. The hepatic portal vein receives nutrient-rich blood from the digestive system.
Interested in knowing more facts about the human body? Check out our articles on facts about the heart and are nails an organ.
Supportive Functions Of The Liver Cells
The liver plays a pivotal role in supporting our body and maintaining its health.
All of the blood that exits the stomach and intestines is filtered by the liver. The liver breaks down, regulates, and generates nutrients and is responsible for making immune factors for the body to use as it processes this blood. It also breaks down (metabolizes) medication in the bloodstream into easier-to-use forms for the body.
The liver helps in bile production, which aids in the removal of waste and the breakdown of fats in the small intestine during digestion.
Certain proteins are produced for blood plasma by the liver.
The liver also helps carry fats. Cholesterol and specific proteins are produced by the liver to carry fats throughout the body.
In the liver, excess glucose is converted to glycogen for storage, and glucose is balanced and made as needed.
Regulation of amino acids happens in the liver. Amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins, are controlled in the blood. The iron content of hemoglobin is exploited through processing and the liver stores iron.
The task of converting toxic ammonia to urea is accomplished by our livers. The end product of protein metabolism is urea, which is expelled in our urine.
Getting rid of drugs and other harmful substances from the blood, controlling blood clotting by generating immune factors, and eliminating bacteria from the bloodstream to fight illnesses all happen in the liver. The liver is also responsible for regulating blood clotting, resisting infections, and bilirubin clearance, including from red blood cells.
What is the function of the liver?
It is worthwhile to understand the vital functions of the liver, especially if you have an upcoming exam.
Filtration of the blood that is exiting and flowing through the digestive tract is performed by the liver. The liver filters and detoxifies blood throughout this process and generates oxygenated blood. This process also includes the absorption of medications into our bodies.
Bile is created by the liver and is a key component of fat metabolism. Protein is produced in the liver for blood plasma. Blood proteins are vital because they aid in the clotting of blood; without them, minor wounds could become fatal, owing to massive blood loss.
Bile juice is created by the liver and aids in digestion as well as in the removal of waste products. Through the process of glycogenolysis, the liver stores glucose and releases it as needed by the body.
Glycogen is broken down into glucose during glycogenolysis. Bilirubin is also cleared by the liver. To transport fat through the body, the liver creates cholesterol and protein.
What are the four sections of the liver?
The liver is an organ located on the upper right side of the abdomen.
The liver is not just composed of a left and right lobe; the human liver is divided into four lobes: right, left, caudate, and quadrate. The falciform ligament is a tendon that connects the right and left lobes.
The falciform ligament connects the liver to the abdominal wall and keeps it in place. The caudate and quadrate lobes are located on the liver's inferior surface.
The quadrate lobe and the caudate lobe are both situated on the underside of the right lobe. The hepatic artery is the one through which oxygenated blood flows.
The hepatic portal vein receives blood from the digestive system. Any important compound received from organs such as the stomach and intestines passes via the hepatic portal vein.
The liver is located in the right upper quadrant of the abdominal cavity, on top of the stomach, right kidney, and intestines, and beneath the diaphragm.
It runs from right to left across the entire abdominal cavity, but it is predominantly found on the right side of the body.
The common hepatic duct serves a major function. Small ducts link lobules to form the common hepatic duct, which connects to bigger ducts. The bile created by the liver cells is transported to the gallbladder and duodenum (the first part of the small intestine) by the common hepatic duct via the common bile duct.
What are some of the most important functions of the liver?
Some of the most important functions of the liver are listed down below.
Our liver, as the largest organ in our body, performs three critical activities for our health: detoxification, synthesis, and storage.
The liver functions as a true filter, recovering from and eliminating various poisons. These poisons can be found in our bodies' waste, such as ammonia, or in the foods and beverages we consume, such as alcohol.
Our liver cells ensure the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins while also creating bile, which is an important component for further digestion. Bile aids digestion by assisting in the breakdown of fats in the small intestine. Our liver also uses the coagulation process to prevent hemorrhages.
Vitamins (A, D, E, and K) and glycogens (carbohydrates) are stored in the liver.
You cannot survive without a liver and you should take proper care of it.
According to a study, Hepatitis C, diabetes, and obesity all raise the risk of liver cancer. Illicit drugs are toxins that the liver has to filter out. Taking these drugs can have long-term consequences.
The key to keeping your liver healthy is consuming only a moderate amount of alcohol. The liver breaks down alcohol.
While the liver can handle small amounts of alcohol, excessive alcohol consumption can harm the liver. Secondly, maintaining a regular exercise program will aid in the overall health of all of your organs, including the liver. Too much fat in your diet can affect the liver's capacity to function, resulting in fatty liver disease.
Animal vs Human Liver Functions
There are a lot of differences in the structures of an animal and a human liver.
The existence of lobation in rodents and the absence of lobation in humans, as well as the presence of a gallbladder in humans and the absence of a gallbladder in rats, suggest qualitative differences between the livers of these species. However, after further consideration, some scientists believe that these discrepancies are due to minor quantitative variances.
Although larger mammals have larger lobules, the best way to increase the size of the liver is to increase the number of lobules.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked learning about these 10 functions of the liver, then why not take a look at our articles on why eyes change color or why eyes water when you yawn.
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Doctorate specializing in Veterinary Medicine
Oluniyi AkandeDoctorate specializing in Veterinary Medicine
With an accomplished background as a Veterinarian, SEO content writer, and public speaker, Oluniyi brings a wealth of skills and experience to his work. Holding a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Ibadan, he provides exceptional consulting services to pet owners, animal farms, and agricultural establishments. Oluniyi's impressive writing career spans over five years, during which he has produced over 5000 high-quality short- and long-form pieces of content. His versatility shines through as he tackles a diverse array of topics, including pets, real estate, sports, games, technology, landscaping, healthcare, cosmetics, personal loans, debt management, construction, and agriculture.
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