HUMAN LIVER
You may not think much of your liver, hidden as it is deep inside your body, but your liver runs a whole lot of functions on your behalf to keep you healthy. Not only is it your largest internal organ, it is in charge of hundreds of different functions ranging from fighting infection. to manufacturing proteins and hormones, and helping clot your blood.
This reddish brown organ has two lobes, on the right and left, and it hangs out just on top of the gallbladder and next to parts of the pancreas and intestines. Your liver and these neighboring organs work as a team to digest and absorb your food. Its main job is to filter the blood that comes from the digestive tract, before it hits the rest of your body. The liver also detoxifies chemicals and metabolizes drugs. As it does so, the liver secretes bile that ends up back in the intestines.
Some genuine facts of human liver
#1. Your liver weighs about the same as a small Chihuahua, often as much as three pounds. and is about the size of a football. It's located just beneath your rib cage on the right side of your body. If you could feel it, it would be rubbery to the touch.
#2. The liver, which filters your body’s toxins (such as drugs and alcohol) and pushes them out of your body, is also a gland.
#3. At its fullest, the liver holds approximately 10 percent of the blood in your body and pumps nearly 1.5 liters through itself per minute.
#4. Like Wolverine, the liver has the incredible ability to completely regrow, and it only needs as little as 25 percent of the original tissue to do so.
#5. The liver is a major regulator of plasma glucose and ammonia levels. If these get out of control they can contribute to a condition known as hepatic encephalopathy, and eventually coma.
#6. Your body needs about one gram (.03 pounds) of liver for every kilogram (35 ounces) of your body weight in order to effectively do its job.
#7. The liver is a busy brew factory of bile, that yellow, green or brownish fluid you only ever see when you’re greeting the toilet with the stomach flu or a hangover. It produces about 700 to 1000 ml of the stuff every day. The bile gathers in little ducts and then moves on to the main bile duct, where it’s carried to the duodenum of the small intestine, either directly or via the gallbladder.
Functions And Anatomy
Shaped like a cone, the liver is a dark reddish-brown organ that weighs about 3 pounds.
There are 2 distinct sources that supply blood to the liver, including the following:
➤Oxygenated blood flows in from the hepatic artery
➤Nutrient-rich blood flows in from the hepatic portal vein
The liver holds about one pint (13%) of the body's blood supply at any given moment. The liver consists of 2 main lobes. Both are made up of 8 segments that consist of 1,000 lobules (small lobes). These lobules are connected to small ducts (tubes) that connect with larger ducts to form the common hepatic duct. The common hepatic duct transports the bile made by the liver cells to the gallbladder and duodenum (the first part of the small intestine) via the common bile duct.
Functions of Liver
The liver regulates most chemical levels in the blood and excretes a product called bile. This helps carry away waste products from the liver. All the blood leaving the stomach and intestines passes through the liver. The liver processes this blood and breaks 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 vital functions have been identified with the liver. Some of the more well-known functions include the following.
➤Production of bile, which helps carry away waste and break down fats in the small intestine during digestion
➤Production of certain proteins for blood plasma
➤Production of cholesterol and special proteins to help carry fats through the body
➤Clearance of bilirubin, also from red blood cells. If there is an accumulation of bilirubin, the skin and eyes turn yellow.
➤Resisting infections by making immune factors and removing bacteria from the bloodstream
➤Conversion of excess glucose into glycogen for storage (glycogen can later be converted back to glucose for energy) and to balance and make glucose as needed
➤Conversion of poisonous ammonia to urea (urea is an end product of protein metabolism and is excreted in the urine)
➤Regulation of blood levels of amino acids, which form the building blocks of proteins.
When the liver has broken down harmful substances, its by-products are excreted into the bile or blood. Bile by-products enter the intestine and leave the body in the form of feces. Blood by-products are filtered out by the kidneys, and leave the body in the form of urine.
Diseases and Cures
Different things can cause serious liver conditions. You’ll want to know about the top causes.
Infections.
Sometimes, the problem is that you have an infection that inflames your liver. Viral hepatitis is the most common cause, including:
Hepatitis A: Most people get it by eating or drinking something that’s tainted by fecal matter. You might not have any symptoms. It usually goes away by itself within 6 months without any long-term harm.
Hepatitis B: You get it from somebody else, such as through unprotected sex or taking drugs with shared needles. If it lasts longer than 6 months, it makes you more likely to get liver cancer or other diseases.
Hepatitis C: You might get it if you take drugs with shared needles or in connection with HIV. If you’re a health-care worker, you might get it from an infected needle that accidentally sticks you. Symptoms may not show up for many years. For reasons that aren’t quite clear, baby boomers are at risk for hepatitis C and should be tested for it.
Immune system problems
Your immune system fights off invaders including bacteria and viruses. But it might go wrong and attack one or more parts of your body, such as your liver.
Autoimmune Hepatitis: inflames your liver. It can lead to other disorders and even liver failure. It strikes girls and women more often than boys or men.
primary biliary cholangitis: attacks tiny tubes in your liver called bile ducts. They carry bile, a chemical that helps you digest food. When the ducts are injured, the bile backs up inside your liver and scars it. Women come down with this more often than men.
primary sclerosing cholangitis: scars your bile ducts, and it can eventually block them. The bile builds up inside your liver, and that makes it harder for your liver to work. It may lead to liver cancer, and you might someday need a liver transplant. Men are more likely than women to get it.
Cancer and tumors
If cancer shows up in your liver, that’s most likely because it has spread from another part of your body, like your lungs, colon, or breasts. But a few cancers can start in the liver.
Live cancer: affects women more often than men, and African-Americans more often than whites. Your doctor might call it hepatocellular carcinoma. It’s more likely if you have hepatitis or drink too much.
Bile duct cancer: strikes the tubes that run from your liver to your small intestine to carry bile, a fluid that helps you digest food. This kind of cancer mainly affects people over age 50, but it’s uncommon.
Liver cell adenoma: is a tumor that doesn’t have cancer. It’s uncommon, but women who take birth control pills for a long time are more prone than other people to develop it. There’s a small chance the tumor could eventually turn into cancer.
Cures
Get a hepatitis vaccine or an immunoglobulin shot to prevent hepatitis A and B.
#1. Eat a proper diet from all of the food groups.
#2. Maintain a heathy weight.
#3. Do not drink alcohol in excess. Avoid alcohol when you are taking acetaminophen.
#4. Practice proper hygiene. Since germs are commonly spread by hands, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly after you use the bathroom. Also, wash your hands before you touch any food.
#5. Don't share any personal toiletry items, including toothbrushes and razors.
#6. If you get a tattoo or a body piercing, make sure the conditions are sanitary and all equipment is aseptic (free of disease-causing germs).
#7. Be sure to use barrier protection (condoms) when having sex.
#8. If you use illegal intravenous drugs, don't share needles with anyone.
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