Dr Shailendra Lalwani - New Delhi

What Is The Location Of The Liver?

The liver is a vital organ in the human body. It is the largest glandular organ performing many functions required to sustain life. The liver is placed in the right upper quadrant, just below the diaphragm, in the abdominal cavity. It is located above the intestine, kidney, and stomach. We cannot feel the liver from outside due to the protection provided to the liver by the lower ribs of the rib cage.

What Is The Shape And Structure Of The Liver?

The shape of the liver is like a wedge or cone, with a reddish-brown color. Liver of adult healthy person weighs about 1 kg to 1.5 kg depending upon the overall body structure. It is considered as the heaviest internal organ and largest gland with a width of about 15 cm. The cells of the liver are known as hepatocytes.

There are two lobes of the liver. These are known as the right lobe and left lobe. The lobes are made of many lobules connected to small ducts. These small ducts drain into a larger duct which forms a common hepatic duct.

The liver is distinctly supplied with blood through two different arteries. Hepatic artery carries the oxygenated blood to the liver while hepatic portal artery carries nutrient-rich blood to the liver. The hepatic vein carries the blood from the liver.

What Are The Functions Of Liver?

The liver performs manyphysiological functions without which life is not possible. It is one of the busiest organs in the human body. Some of the vital functions performed by the liver are:

Regulates metabolism: Liver regulates the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins and helps in generating the energy required for various activities

Detoxification: Liver detoxifies various toxins present in the body and helps them removing from the body.

Aids digestion: Hepatocytes synthesizes bile which is stored in the gall bladder. Bile helps in digestion of fats through emulsification and aids the absorption of fats in the small intestine.

Protein Synthesis: Liver is responsible for synthesizing various plasma proteins such as albumin.

Storing nutrients: Liver stores important nutrients such as glycogen, Vitamin A, D and B12 and elements such as copper and iron.

Enhances Immunity: Liver also plays a major role in providing immunity by detecting, catering and killing the pathogens entering the body through the gut.

Assists in blood clotting:Liver synthesizes many coagulation factors required for effective blood clotting.

Balances Hormones: Liver is also the production factory of various hormones such as thrombopoietin, Insulin-like Growth Factor-1, and Angiotensinogen.

Regulates cholesterol: Liver synthesizes cholesterol for transporting it to other cells and removes cholesterol from the body via transforming to bile salts.

How The Health Of Liver Is Maintained?

Following are certain tips to maintain a healthy liver:

• Eat a healthy diet
• Exercise daily
• Stay away from fast foods and junk foods
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Restrict alcohol intake
• Stay away from illicit drugs
• Vaccinate on schedule
• Protect yourself against hepatitis
• Take good care of yourself when suffering from diabetes, high blood pressure, dyslipidemia, and kidney disease
• Avoid smoking
• Stay away from eating street foods when you are suspicious about its hygiene

What Are Some Amazing Facts About Liver?

• The liver is the only organ with dual arterial blood supply.
• The liver is the only organ with the power of complete regeneration.
• All vertebrates have a liver for sustaining life.
• The liver performs more than 500 functions, the most by any organ.
• A healthy liver is required for efficient functioning of brain.
• At its fullest, the liver is filled with almost 10% of the body’s total blood volume.