Anatomy and Functions of the Liver
The liver is the largest and perhaps the most complex organ in the body. It is located in the upper side of the abdomen on the right, just above the stomach and the intestine and below the ribs, lungs and the diaphragm. In an adult, it weighs about three pounds and has two lobes; the right and the left.
The liver, like the gall bladder and the pancreas, produces substances to help digest and use food. The liver performs more than 500 separate functions, including:
- storing carbohydrates for energy
- controlling blood sugar levels
- removing and breaking down harmful substances such as ammonia and toxic chemicals
- making bile
Without proper blood flow through the liver, the liver cannot function correctly. The blood that flows through the liver is from two sources, the portal vein and the hepatic artery. The portal vein, which carries blood from the digestive organs to the liver, is the primary blood source. The secondary source, the hepatic artery, delivers freshly oxygenated blood from the heart.
The inferior vena cava is a large main vein that carries blood through the liver and back to the heart.
Other Organs: Gallbladder and Pancreas
Below the right lobe of the liver lies the gallbladder, a hollow, pear-shaped, saclike organ. The gallbladder stores bile, a greenish brown fluid produced by the liver to help the body break down and use fats. When a person eats, the gallbladder empties bile into the intestines to help digest food.
The pancreas lies below the liver and gallbladder and produces enzymes that aid in digestion. The pancreas also makes insulin to balance blood sugar levels and releases needed hormones into the blood.