What is the function of liver lobules?

What is the function of liver lobules?

These lobules are very small. Each lobule is made up of numerous liver cells, called hepatocytes, that line up in radiating rows. Between each row are sinusoids. These small blood vessels diffuse oxygen and nutrients through their capillary walls into the liver cells.

What is a classic liver lobule?

As noted earlier, the classic liver lobule is a hexagonal solid in which the blood flows from the periphery of the lobule to the center, and bile flows in the opposite direction (Fig. 18.4).

What is the best way to describe liver lobules?

The lobules of liver, or hepatic lobules, are small divisions of the liver defined at the microscopic (histological) scale. The hepatic lobule is a building block of the liver tissue, consisting of a portal triad, hepatocytes arranged in linear cords between a capillary network, and a central vein.

Do the lobes of the liver have different functions?

Morphologically all liver lobes contain major portion of hepatocytes, followed by endothelial cells, stellate cells and kupher cells. Till date all lobes function similarly without any disparity. This situation prevails even in case of hepatic regeneration, suggesting all lobes have similar function.

What are 5 functions of the liver?

The primary functions of the liver are:

• Bile production and excretion.
• Excretion of bilirubin, cholesterol, hormones, and drugs.
• Metabolism of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates.
• Enzyme activation.
• Storage of glycogen, vitamins, and minerals.
• Synthesis of plasma proteins, such as albumin, and clotting factors.

What is the function of 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.

What structure are the liver lobules found?

The liver lobes are made up of microscopic units called lobules which are roughly hexagonal in shape. These lobules comprise of rows of liver cells (hepatocytes) which radiate out from a central point.

Is the liver lobule the same as a hepatocyte?

Liver lobules are collections of hepatocytes in a hexagonal shape with the center being a central vein. Within the lobules, the hepatocytes are arranged in cords, and in between the cords is a vascular space with a thin fenestrated endothelium and a discontinuous membrane called a sinusoid.

What are the three main functions of the liver?

As the largest organ in our body, our liver has 3 vital functions, essential to our body: detoxification, synthesis and storage.

What is the normal function of the liver?

The Liver and Its Functions. The liver is the largest solid organ in the body. It removes toxins from the body’s blood supply, maintains healthy blood sugar levels, regulates blood clotting, and performs hundreds of other vital functions. It is located beneath the rib cage in the right upper abdomen.