Liver (Human Body) | Definition & Functions

Liv­er is the largest sol­id gland sit­u­at­ed to the right side of abdom­i­nal cav­i­ty. It is radish brown in col­or and soft in consistency.

Liv­er is the largest gland which secrete bile and helps in metab­o­lism. It weighs about 1.5kg. It wedge shaped organ. It has 5 sur­faces — ante­ri­or, pos­te­ri­or, supe­ri­or, infe­ri­or and right.

Por­ta hepatis ia deep trans­verse fis­sure about two inch­es long sit­u­at­ed on the infe­ri­or sur­face of the right lobe. Por­tal vein, hepat­ic artery, hepat­ic nerves enter and right and left hepat­ic ducts exit at por­ta hepatis. 

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It is divid­ed into two lobes by attach­ment of fal­ci­form lig­a­ment. Right lobe is larg­er than the left lobe and form 5/6 of the liv­er . Cor­date lobe is sit­u­at­ed on the pos­te­ri­or sur­face. Quadrate lobe is sit­u­at­ed on infe­ri­or surface.

Function of liver 

• Car­bo­hy­drates metabolism.
• Pro­tein metabolism.
• Fat metab­o­lism.
• Syn­the­sis of Vit­a­min like vit­a­min A, D, K and B12.
• Man­u­fac­tur­ing of bile.
• Func­tion relat­ed to blood.
• It is fetal life RBC’sare man­u­fac­tured in the liver.
• Blood clot­ting factor.
• Iron, vit­a­min B12 and Folic acid are stored in liver
• Liv­er man­u­fac­tures albu­min, glob­u­lin fib­rino­gen and other
• Plas­ma pro­tein that trans­port to blood plasma. 
• store house The liv­er store gluca­gen, vit­a­min B12 , B6, B1, k, A, D and folic acid , min­er­als (iron, cop­per) fat etc. Fix­a­tion and Excre­tion of tox­ic substances.