Dictionary > Liver

Liver

Definition
noun
The glandular organ that stores and metabolizes nutrients, detoxifies, and produces bile
Supplement
In human anatomy, the liver is the large, reddish-brown glandular organ located in the right upper quadrant of the abdominal cavity. It consists mainly of hepatocytes (i.e. 70-85% of the liver volume). It is an important organ for its role in metabolism, digestion, detoxification and elimination of substances from the body. It is also a gland, and in fact it is regarded as the largest gland of the human body. It is a gland because it produces and secretes bile. In the digestion process, the liver acts as an accessory organ producing and secreting bile that aids in the digestion of fats. Excess bile is stored in the gall bladder. Nevertheless, bile secretion is just one of the many functions of the liver. Some of the other physiologic functions of liver are the following:

See also:

  • hepatocyte
  • hepatitis
  • gout
  • jaundice
  • detoxification
  • heparin
  • hepatomegaly
  • Related term(s):

    • Liver anatomy
    • Liver acinus
    • Liver abscess amebic
    • Cod liver oil
    • Fibrous appendix of liver
    • Hot liver lesion
    • Right part of diaphragmatic surface of liver
    • Shark liver oil
    • Yellow atrophy of the liver
    • Notch for round ligament of liver
    • Desiccated liver
    • Liver abscess
    • Hobnail liver
    • Bare area of liver
    • Liver cell
    • Waxy liver
    • Lardaceous liver


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