About Our Liver
Where Is the Liver Located and What Does It Look Like?
The liver is located in the upper right portion of the abdominal cavity, just below the diaphragm (the muscular layer that separates the chest from the abdomen), and adjacent to the stomach, right kidney, and intestines. The gallbladder lies beneath the lower surface of the liver.
Conical in shape, the liver is a dark reddish-brown organ weighing approximately 1–2 kilograms. It receives blood from two distinct sources:
- Oxygen-rich blood flows in through the hepatic artery
- Nutrient-rich blood flows in through the portal vein
The liver always contains about 500 ml (13%) of the body’s total blood volume.
Liver Anatomy
The liver consists of two main lobes—the right and the left—each made up of thousands of lobules. These lobules are connected to small ducts, which in turn join to form larger ducts, eventually creating the main hepatic duct. The hepatic duct carries bile, produced by liver cells, to the gallbladder and the duodenum (the first part of the small intestine).
What Is the Function of the Liver?
The liver regulates many chemical substances in the blood and secretes a product called "bile," which helps carry waste products away from the liver. All the blood leaving the stomach and intestines passes through the liver. The liver processes this blood, breaking down nutrients and medications into forms that are easier for the rest of the body to use.
500 Vital Functions of the Liver
- Secretion of bile for fat digestion
- Detoxification of drugs, chemicals, and alcohol from the blood
- Storage of excess glucose as glycogen
- Elimination of waste products through bile
- Synthesis of proteins and cholesterol
- Blood clotting
- Immune defense against infections
What Are the Functions of the Liver?
- Immune defense against infections
- Synthesis of proteins and cholesterol
- Elimination of waste products through bile
- Blood clotting
- Detoxification of drugs, chemicals, and alcohol from the blood
- Storage of excess glucose as glycogen
- Secretion of bile for fat digestion
The liver is the most complex and metabolically active organ in the body. It performs more than five hundred vital functions. Some of the major functions include:
- Provides immune defense against infections. When the liver is damaged, infections are more likely to occur.
- Acts as the factory where most of the body’s essential proteins are produced, as well as cholesterol and special fat forms called lipoproteins that transport fats throughout the body.
- Detoxifies the blood from various chemicals, drugs, and alcohol.
- Secretes bile into the intestine. Bile is essential for the digestion of fats and also plays a role in eliminating waste products from the body.
- Regulates blood clotting by producing essential proteins.
- Stores extra sugar (glucose) in the form of starch (glycogen), which can be used when fasting or during energy deficiency.
What Makes the Liver Unique?
Reserve Capacity
Even if 70% of the liver is removed, liver function remains normal (provided that the remaining 30% is healthy). Therefore, in individuals with liver cancer, large portions of the cancerous liver can be removed without damaging or impairing liver function. Similarly, for transplantation purposes, more than half of the liver can be safely taken from a donor without causing liver dysfunction or any serious harm.
Regeneration
The liver is the only organ in the body capable of regenerating itself after large portions are removed. Small remnants of the liver can grow back to normal size within a few weeks. For this reason, large sections of the liver can be safely removed from living donors or from patients with liver tumors.
This also explains why half of a liver can be successfully transplanted into patients with liver failure, as the organ rapidly grows and restores its normal size.
