What are the adaptations of liver?

Adaptations of liver:

Location:

-Located in the upper right quadrant of the abdominal cavity,

- Allows it to receive blood from the gastrointestinal tract via the hepatic portal vein. This positioning enables the liver to efficiently process and detoxify various substances absorbed from the intestines.

Size:

-Largest internal organ (by weight) in the human body,

- Allows it to accommodate its multiple functions, including metabolism, detoxification, bile production, and storage.

Lobes:

-Divided into two main lobes (right and left) and further into smaller lobules,

- Facilitates functional specialization within the liver and allows for efficient processing of different substances.

Hepatic lobules:

- Basic structural and functional units of the liver,

- Contain hepatocytes (liver cells), blood vessels, and bile ducts, contributing to liver's vital functions, such as detoxification, metabolism, and bile production.

Hepatocytes:

-Abundant polygonal-shaped cells that make up the bulk of the liver tissue,

- Specialized in performing various metabolic functions, detoxification processes, protein synthesis, storage, and secretion of bile.

Sinusoids:

- Specialized blood vessels within the liver lobules,

- Allows close contact between hepatocytes and the blood, facilitating efficient exchange of substances and waste products.

Kupffer cells:

-Specialized macrophages located within the liver sinusoids,

- Play a crucial role in the immune system by removing waste, damaged red blood cells, bacteria, and foreign particles from the bloodstream.

Bile canaliculi:

- Minute channels or tiny ducts formed between adjacent hepatocytes,

- Collect and transport bile produced by hepatocytes.

- Eventually merge to form larger bile ducts.

Bile ducts:

- Network of tubules that collect and transport bile from the bile canaliculi,

- Transport bile to the gallbladder for storage or directly to the duodenum (part of the small intestine) to aid in the digestion and absorption of fats.

Portal triad:

-Consists of three structures located at the periphery of each liver lobule:

- A branch of the hepatic artery, a branch of the hepatic portal vein, and a bile duct,

- This arrangement ensures a constant supply of oxygenated blood, nutrients, and removal of waste products from the liver.