Liver

LIVER

The liver is in the upper right part of the abdomen. It is the largest organ in the body.

The functions of the liver include:

storing glycogen (fuel for the body) which is made from sugars;

helping to process fats and proteins from digested food;

making proteins that are essential for blood to clot (clotting factors);

processing many medicines which you may take;

helping to remove poisons and toxins from the body.

producing bile

Bile is a greenish-yellow fluid which contains bile acids, bile pigments and waste products such as bilirubin. Liver cells pass bile into bile ducts inside the liver. The bile flows down these ducts leading to the common bile duct. The gallbladder is like a reservoir of bile which comes off the common bile duct. After you eat, the gallbladder squeezes bile back into the common bile duct and down into the duodenum (the first part of the gut after the stomach). Bile in the gut helps to digest fats.

 

DISCLAIMER

The aim of this web site is to provide a general guide and it is not intended as a substitute for a consultation with an appropriate specialist in respect of individual care and treatment.