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liver sinusoid

anatomy
Also known as: hepatic capillary

Quick Summary

The liver sinusoid is a specialized blood vessel found in the liver, spleen, and bone marrow, serving as an irregular space for blood passage that replaces capillaries and venules. In the liver, blood enters these sinusoids from both the portal vein and the hepatic artery. The portal vein carries deoxygenated blood from organs like the stomach, intestines, spleen, gallbladder, and pancreas to the liver.12

The walls of the sinusoids are lined with Kupffer cells, which are phagocytic cells that digest old red blood cells and remove toxins from the bloodstream. This cleansing process is crucial for liver function. After passing through the sinusoids, the blood returns to the heart via the hepatic vein.1

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2 Britannica Sources
  1. sinusoid
  2. portal vein

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