The liver, the body's largest gland, is a crucial organ with many metabolic and secretory functions. It is located under the right rib cage, in the upper right section of the abdomen. The liver's functions include secreting bile for fat digestion, metabolizing proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, and storing glycogen and vitamins. It also synthesizes blood-clotting factors, removes waste from the blood, regulates blood volume, and destroys old red blood cells. The liver consists of lobes containing hepatic cells that perform metabolic functions, and Kupffer cells that ingest foreign particles. Blood flows through the liver from the hepatic artery and portal vein, where nutrients are modified and stored. The liver also produces enzymes, blood serum proteins, and detoxifies harmful substances.

Where is the liver located in the human body?

The liver, the largest and most complex gland in the human body, resides under the lower right rib cage, largely occupying the upper right quadrant of the abdomen, with a part extending into the upper left quadrant. Weighing between 1.2 to 1.6 kg, it is slightly larger in men than in women. The liver is divided into two unequal lobes, the larger right and smaller left, separated on the frontal surface by the falciform ligament, which attaches the liver to the diaphragm's undersurface. The inferior surface features a groove with the teres ligament running to the navel, further separating the lobes. Blood vessels enter the liver on its inferior surface via the porta hepatis.

What are the main functions of the liver?

The liver is the largest gland in the body and performs numerous metabolic and secretory functions. The liver is responsible for the production and secretion of bile , a fluid that aids in the digestion of fats in the small intestine. The liver also plays a crucial role in the metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Additionally, it stores glycogen, vitamins, and other essential substances, synthesizes blood-clotting factors, and eliminates waste and toxic substances from the blood. The liver also metabolizes certain drugs. Furthermore, the liver breaks down worn-out red blood cells.

What are the major parts or lobes of the liver?

The liver, the largest gland in the body, is divided into two unequal lobes: a large right lobe and a smaller left lobe. On the anterior surface, the left lobe is separated by the falciform ligament, which connects the liver to the diaphragm's undersurface. On the inferior surface, the right and left lobes are separated by a groove containing the teres ligament, which runs to the navel. Two smaller lobes, the caudate and quadrate lobes, occupy a portion of the inferior surface of the right lobe. The major blood vessels enter the liver on its inferior surface in the porta hepatis, which separates the quadrate and caudate lobes.

How does blood flow into and out of the liver?

The liver receives blood from two sources: the hepatic artery and the portal vein. The hepatic artery delivers oxygenated blood, while the portal vein brings blood from the digestive organs, spleen, and pancreas. Within the liver, blood flows through sinusoids , where it is cleansed and processed. The blood then exits the liver via the hepatic veins , which drain into the inferior vena cava, carrying blood to the heart.

What are some ways the liver can be affected by disease or injury?

The liver can be affected by various agents, resulting in disorders that impact its functional components: the hepatocyte, the bile secretory apparatus, or the blood vascular system. These disorders include: * Hepatitis Viruses, drugs, and toxins can cause acute or chronic hepatitis (inflammation of the liver), leading to liver cell damage. * Cirrhosis Chronic liver injury can result in cirrhosis , where healthy tissue is replaced by fibrous scar tissue, impairing liver function. * Liver cancer Tumors, both benign and malignant, can develop in the liver, with hepatocellular carcinomas being the most common type. * Other disorders Alcoholism can cause Laënnec cirrhosis, while genetic conditions like Wilson disease and hemochromatosis can also damage the liver.

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Illustration of the human liver showing both anterior and posterior views, with labeled structures including the right and left lobes, gallbladder, major blood vessels, ligaments, and bile ducts.

Diagram of liver structure showing labeled components such as hepatic veins, sinusoids, canaliculi, hepatocytes, Kupffer cells, bile duct, and blood vessels, with an inset highlighting Kupffer cell functions.

Diagram of the human digestive system viewed from the front, showing and labeling organs including the mouth, teeth, tongue, salivary glands, pharynx, esophagus, liver, stomach, gallbladder, pancreas, large intestine, small intestine, appendix, rectum, and anus.

Diagram showing how fatty acids are mobilized from adipose tissue, transported in the bloodstream, processed in the liver, and delivered as energy sources such as fatty acids, triglycerides, and ketones to the muscle, brain, and heart. Arrows illustrate the movement and conversion of lipids, glucose, glycerol, and ketones between adipocytes, liver, muscle, heart, and brain.

Detailed diagram showing the transport of lipoproteins in the human body, illustrating how dietary fats and cholesterol are absorbed in the small intestine, packaged into chylomicrons, and transported through lymphatic vessels and the bloodstream. The diagram traces the conversion of chylomicrons to VLDL, IDL, LDL, and HDL particles, highlighting their roles in fat and cholesterol delivery, storage, and recycling, with labeled pathways to the liver, muscle, and adipose tissue, and includes cellu

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Key People:: Claude Bernard; Alexander Gordon Bearn; Dorry Segev; Joseph Leidy; Karl, baron von Rokitansky

Related Topics:: porta hepatis; hepatocyte; hepatic duct; liver sinusoid; liver disease

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Top Questions

What is the liver?
The liver, the body's largest gland, is a crucial organ with many metabolic and secretory functions. It is located under the right rib cage, in the upper right section of the abdomen.

The liver's functions include secreting bile for fat digestion, metabolizing proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, and storing glycogen and vitamins. It also synthesizes blood-clotting factors, removes waste from the blood, regulates blood volume, and destroys old red blood cells.

The liver consists of lobes containing hepatic cells that perform metabolic functions, and Kupffer cells that ingest foreign particles. Blood flows through the liver from the hepatic artery and portal vein, where nutrients are modified and stored. The liver also produces enzymes, blood serum proteins, and detoxifies harmful substances.
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1. liver
2. human digestive system: Gross anatomy
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Where is the liver located in the human body?
The liver, the largest and most complex gland in the human body, resides under the lower right rib cage, largely occupying the upper right quadrant of the abdomen, with a part extending into the upper left quadrant. Weighing between 1.2 to 1.6 kg, it is slightly larger in men than in women. The liver is divided into two unequal lobes, the larger right and smaller left, separated on the frontal surface by the falciform ligament, which attaches the liver to the diaphragm's undersurface. The inferior surface features a groove with the teres ligament running to the navel, further separating the lobes. Blood vessels enter the liver on its inferior surface via the porta hepatis.
1 Britannica Source
1. human digestive system: Gross anatomy
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What are the main functions of the liver?
The liver is the largest gland in the body and performs numerous metabolic and secretory functions. The liver is responsible for the production and secretion of bile, a fluid that aids in the digestion of fats in the small intestine. The liver also plays a crucial role in the metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Additionally, it stores glycogen, vitamins, and other essential substances, synthesizes blood-clotting factors, and eliminates waste and toxic substances from the blood. The liver also metabolizes certain drugs. Furthermore, the liver breaks down worn-out red blood cells.
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Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What are the major parts or lobes of the liver?
The liver, the largest gland in the body, is divided into two unequal lobes: a large right lobe and a smaller left lobe. On the anterior surface, the left lobe is separated by the falciform ligament, which connects the liver to the diaphragm's undersurface. On the inferior surface, the right and left lobes are separated by a groove containing the teres ligament, which runs to the navel. Two smaller lobes, the caudate and quadrate lobes, occupy a portion of the inferior surface of the right lobe. The major blood vessels enter the liver on its inferior surface in the porta hepatis, which separates the quadrate and caudate lobes.
1 Britannica Source
1. human digestive system: Gross anatomy
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How does blood flow into and out of the liver?
The liver receives blood from two sources: the hepatic artery and the portal vein. The hepatic artery delivers oxygenated blood, while the portal vein brings blood from the digestive organs, spleen, and pancreas.

Within the liver, blood flows through sinusoids, where it is cleansed and processed. The blood then exits the liver via the hepatic veins, which drain into the inferior vena cava, carrying blood to the heart.
5 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What are some ways the liver can be affected by disease or injury?
The liver can be affected by various agents, resulting in disorders that impact its functional components: the hepatocyte, the bile secretory apparatus, or the blood vascular system.

These disorders include:
* Hepatitis Viruses, drugs, and toxins can cause acute or chronic hepatitis (inflammation of the liver), leading to liver cell damage.
* Cirrhosis Chronic liver injury can result in cirrhosis, where healthy tissue is replaced by fibrous scar tissue, impairing liver function.
* Liver cancer Tumors, both benign and malignant, can develop in the liver, with hepatocellular carcinomas being the most common type.
* Other disorders Alcoholism can cause Laënnec cirrhosis, while genetic conditions like Wilson disease and hemochromatosis can also damage the liver.
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liver, the largest gland in the body, a spongy mass of wedge-shaped lobes that has many metabolic and secretory functions. The liver secretes bile, a digestive fluid; metabolizes proteins, carbohydrates, and fats; stores glycogen, vitamins, and other substances; synthesizes blood-clotting factors; removes wastes and toxic matter from the blood; regulates blood volume; and destroys old red blood cells.

Liver tissue consists of a mass of cells tunneled through with bile ducts and blood vessels. Hepatic cells make up about 60 percent of the tissue and perform more metabolic functions than any other group of cells in the body. A second group of cells, called Kupffer cells, line the smallest channels of the liver’s vascular system and play a role in blood formation, antibody production, and ingestion of foreign particles and cellular debris.

Each day the liver secretes about 800 to 1,000 ml (about 1 quart) of bile, which contains bile salts needed for the digestion of fats in the diet. Bile is also the medium for excretion of certain metabolic waste products, drugs, and toxic substances. From the liver a duct system carries bile to the common bile duct, which empties into the duodenum of the small intestine and which connects with the gallbladder, where it is concentrated and stored. The presence of fat in the duodenum stimulates the flow of bile out of the gallbladder and into the small intestine. Senescent (worn-out) red blood cells are destroyed in the liver, spleen, and bone marrow. A pigment, bilirubin, formed in the process of hemoglobin breakdown, is released into the bile, creating its characteristic greenish orange colour, and is excreted from the body through the intestine.

Male muscle, man flexing arm, bicep curl.

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The liver cells synthesize a number of enzymes. As blood flows through the liver, both from the portal vein and from the hepatic artery, the cells and enzymes are filtered. Nutrients entering the liver from the intestine are modified into forms that are usable by the body cells or are stored for future use. Fats are converted into fatty acids and then into carbohydrates or ketone bodies and transported by the blood to the tissues, where they are further metabolized. Sugars are converted into glycogen, which remains stored in the liver until it is needed for energy production; it is then reconverted into glucose and released into the bloodstream. The liver manufactures blood serum proteins, including albumin and several clotting factors, and supplies them to the blood. The liver also metabolizes nitrogenous waste products and detoxifies poisonous substances, preparing them for elimination in the urine or feces.

A common sign of impaired liver function is jaundice, a yellowness of the eyes and skin arising from excessive bilirubin in the blood. Jaundice can result from an abnormally high level of red blood cell destruction (hemolytic jaundice), defective uptake or transport of bilirubin by the hepatic cells (hepatocellular jaundice), or a blockage in the bile duct system (obstructive jaundice). Failure of hepatic cells to function can result from hepatitis, cirrhosis, tumours, vascular obstruction, or poisoning. Symptoms may include weakness, low blood pressure, easy bruising and bleeding, tremor, and accumulation of fluid in the abdomen. Blood tests can reveal abnormal levels of bilirubin, cholesterol, serum proteins, urea, ammonia, and various enzymes. A specific diagnosis of a liver problem can be established by performing a needle biopsy.

The liver is subject to a variety of other disorders and diseases. Abscesses can be caused by acute appendicitis; those occurring in the bile ducts may result from gallstones or may follow surgery. The parasite that causes amebic dysentery in the tropics can produce liver abscesses as well. Various other parasites prevalent in different parts of the world also infect the liver. Liver cancer is common, occurring mostly as secondary tumours originating elsewhere in the body. Glycogen-storage diseases, a group of hereditary disorders, generate a buildup of glycogen in the liver and an insufficient supply of glucose in the blood. Certain drugs may damage the liver, producing jaundice.

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The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Rick Livingston.

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