📍 What Is the Liver?
The liver is the largest internal organ and one of the most vital for survival. It’s located in the upper right part of your abdomen, just beneath the diaphragm, and weighs about 1.2 to 1.5 kilograms in an adult.
🔬 Main Functions of the Liver
The liver performs over 500 essential tasks, but its main functions can be grouped into the following categories:
| Function | Description |
|---|---|
| Metabolism | Converts nutrients (carbs, fats, proteins) into energy or building blocks |
| Detoxification | Filters and removes toxins, drugs, alcohol, and ammonia |
| Bile Production | Produces bile to digest fats |
| Storage | Stores vitamins (A, D, E, K, B12), minerals (iron, copper), and glycogen |
| Blood Regulation | Helps control blood clotting, cleans old blood cells |
| Immune Support | Acts as a barrier against infections and contains immune cells |
⚙️ How the Liver Works – Step by Step
-
Blood Flow to the Liver
-
The liver receives oxygen-rich blood from the hepatic artery
-
And nutrient-rich blood from the hepatic portal vein (from intestines)
-
-
Processing Nutrients
-
Glucose → stored as glycogen or released as needed
-
Amino acids → used for protein synthesis, excess turned to urea
-
Fats → converted to energy or cholesterol
-
-
Detoxifying the Blood
-
Neutralizes drugs, alcohol, hormones, and metabolic waste
-
Converts ammonia (toxic) to urea (safe, excreted in urine)
-
-
Producing Bile
-
Bile is a greenish fluid that emulsifies fats for digestion
-
Stored in the gallbladder, then released into the small intestine
-
-
Regulating Blood Clotting
-
Produces clotting factors and proteins like fibrinogen
-
🦠 Common Liver Diseases
| Condition | Description |
|---|---|
| Hepatitis | Inflammation caused by viruses (A, B, C) or toxins |
| Cirrhosis | Scarring of the liver from chronic damage (e.g. alcohol, hepatitis) |
| Fatty Liver | Build-up of fat in liver cells (linked to obesity, diabetes) |
| Liver Cancer | Can arise from chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis |
| Liver Failure | Life-threatening loss of liver function |
🧬 Regeneration: A Unique Feature
-
The liver is the only internal organ that can regenerate.
-
You can donate up to 70% of your liver, and it will grow back!
-
This feature is used in living-donor liver transplants.
🧠 Fun & Interesting Facts
-
The liver filters 1.4 liters of blood every minute
-
It can hold up to 10% of the body’s blood at any time
-
Ancient civilizations (Egyptians, Greeks) thought the liver was the seat of the soul
-
"Liver spots" (age spots) are not actually caused by liver disease
-
The term “livered” in old English meant brave (since liver was seen as source of courage!)
🧪 Medical Terms Related to the Liver
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Hepatic | Related to the liver (e.g., hepatic artery) |
| Hepatocyte | Liver cell |
| Bilirubin | Pigment formed from red blood cell breakdown, processed by the liver |
| ALT / AST | Liver enzymes measured in blood tests |
| Jaundice | Yellowing of skin due to liver dysfunction and high bilirubin levels |