The Liver

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  • Created by: KayshaN
  • Created on: 29-10-17 16:19
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  • The Liver
    • Excretion
      • carbon dioxide
      • bile pigments
      • Nitrogenous waste- urea
    • Structure
      • Cells simple in appearance
        • Hepatocytes
          • secrete bile into spaces called canaliculi, drains into bile ducts - gall bladder
      • Blood from hepatic artery and hepatic portal vein mixed in sinusoids
        • surrounded by hepatocytes
        • Increases Oxygen content in blood of hepatic portal vein
          • Supplying hepatocytes
      • Sinusoids contain Kupffer cells
        • Resident macrophages
          • ingest foreign particles & help protect against disease
    • Functions
      • Carbohydrate Metabolism
        • hepatocytes involved in the control of glucose levels
          • when blood glucose levels rise, insulin levels rise
            • stimulate hepatocytes to convert glucose to storage glucagon
              • when blood sugar falls, hepatocytes convert glucagon back to glucose
                • hormones glucagon
                  • hepatocytes involved in the control of glucose levels
                    • when blood glucose levels rise, insulin levels rise
                      • stimulate hepatocytes to convert glucose to storage glucagon
                        • when blood sugar falls, hepatocytes convert glucagon back to glucose
                          • hormones glucagon
        • Deamination of excess amino acids
          • removal of the amine group from molecules
            • body cant store amino acids or proteins, any excess would be excreted therefore wasted if not for hepatocytes
              • remove amino group, convert to ammonia and then urea
                • urea excreted, remainder of amino acid used in cellular respiration or lipids for storage
        • Detoxification
          • levels of toxin in body always increase e.g. metabolic processes or alcohol
            • one example: hydrogen peroxide
              • hepatocytes contain catalase, splits it into oxygen and water
          • Another example: ethanol
            • Hepatocytes contain alcohol dehydrogenase
              • to ethanal
                • to ethanoate

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