A. UNDERSTANDING THE DEFINITION OF LIVER
(HEPAR)
Liver (Hepar) is one of the largest glandular organ
in the human body. The liver is located in the upper right abdomen . The color
is dark red-brown and is the organ that has many functions in supporting life.
Liver’s weight is about 3-5% of a person's body weight.
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| LIVER (HEPAR) |
B. THE FUNCTIONS OF LIVER (HEPAR)
- Vascular function, ie for storage and filtration of blood.
- Secretion function, to produce urea and bile salts were later distributed through channels (ducts) into the digestive tract.
- Metabolic function, liver also has the function of the metabolism of carbohydrates, protein, fat, and other body parts.
- Storage functions, the liver can store fat, glycogen, vitamins, and iron. Then will be issued when needed by the body.
- Antidote function, when we consume food or drinks that contain toxins, the liver will transform the toxic components, so that components can be used or removed from the body. For example, the results of carbohydrate metabolism produces lactic acid is converted into glycogen so that it can be used for energy reserves. Another example is the metabolism of proteins that produce ammonia is converted into urea and excreted from the body in the urine through the process of urination.
C. STRUCTURE AND PARTS OF THE LIVER
(HEPAR)
The liver consists of two main parts, parts of the
liver called right and left lobe. Right and left lobes are separated by a
fissure which is formed from a combination of several ligaments. Each lobe is
composed by functional units called hexagonal lobules. At the center of the
lobules there are vessels of the vein or the central vein. Each central vein
will then be joined together to form the hepatic vein blood vessel which is the
main veins of the liver. The structure that separates each the lobules with
other lobules is called lacunae. The tissue is composed by lobolus cells called
hepatocytes. Each cells separated by hepatocytes canaliculi, then every
canaliculi will merge to form bile ducts.
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| LIVER BLOOD SUPPLY |
Supply of nutrients and oxygen to the liver (hepar)
is obtained from the heart, same as other organs. However, blood flow of hepar
is a bit different with other organs. The liver receives blood from two main
sources, namely the hepatic artery and hepatic portal vein.
Hepatic Arteries carry oxygen-rich blood and
nutrients from the heart and supply about 20% of the hepatic blood.
While the hepatic portal vein carries blood from the
digestive system. This blood contains the products of metabolism and digestion.
Portal vein blood supplies about 80% of the liver.
Then the blood will come out of the central vein to
the hepatic vein and inferior vena cava.
To understand this explanation please see the picture
below:
BLOOD VESSELS OF LIVER (HEPAR)
