The liver is the largest gland in the human body, with endocrine and exocrine activity.
The liver is located in the abdominal region, on the right side, below the diaphragm. It has a shape that resembles a trapezoid, with rounded angles. Its weight is approximately 1500g. The color is reddish-brown.
It is a structure attached to the digestive system, formed by millions of cells that group together in plaques and are called hepatocytes.
The liver is an organ with regeneration capacity, if we remove half of the liver, in a few months, it will return to normal size.
Anatomically, the liver has four lobes: the direct and larger, the left, the square and the caudate.
Functions
The liver can perform more than 500 functions in the human body. Among the functions of the liver, the following stand out:
- Glucose storage and release ;
- Secreting the bile that was stored in the gallbladder . The bile is sent to the intestine, where dissolution and assists in the utilization of fat;
- Lipid metabolism;
- Conversion of ammonia to urea;
- Synthesis of most plasma proteins
- Destruction of worn-out red blood cells;
- Vitamin and mineral storage;
- Filtering impurities.
Liver Diseases
In general, liver disease is accompanied by the following symptoms: jaundice (yellowish skin), dark urine, abdominal swelling, bleeding, itching and tiredness.
The main liver diseases are liver cirrhosis and viral hepatitis.
The hepatic cirrhosis is the transformation of the original cells of the liver tissue by fibrous tissue. As a result, the organ does not perform its functions normally.
The viral hepatitis is a liver inflammation caused by infection with one of five hepatitis. Hepatitis can be type A, B and C.