The Liver

Overview

The liver is the largest gland of the body, weighting about 3 pounds in a healthy adult, and is located in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen. It is wedge-shaped, and covered by a network of connective tissue. It is glossy in appearance and dark red in color from the rich supply of blood flowing through it. Approximately 25% of the cardiac output flows to the liver.

Vital Functions

The liver performs numerous vital functions: converting nutrients derived from food into essential blood components, storing vitamins and minerals, regulating blood clotting, producing proteins and enzymes, maintaining hormone balances, and metabolizing and detoxifying substances that would otherwise be harmful to the body. The liver also aids the human immune system to fight infection, removes bacteria from the blood, and makes bile, which is essential for digestion.

The liver regulates most chemical levels in the blood and excretes bile, which carries 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 the nutrients and drugs into forms that are easier to use for the rest of the body. More than 500 vital functions have been identified with the liver.

Interesting Facts

• The liver is the only human organ that has the remarkable property of self-regeneration. If a part of the liver is removed, the remaining parts can grow back to its original size and shape.
• The liver can lose three-quarters of its cells before it stops functioning.
• The liver is responsible for performing more functions than any other organ in the body.