THE LIVER Blood Circulation Liver receives blood from two major blood vessels and is drained by one. -hepatic artery -hepatic portal vein -hepatic vein -sinusoids

Sinusoids are capillaries of liver  Wider than capillaries  Lined with endothelial cells with gaps allowing blood plasma direct contact with hepatocytes  Gaps also allow large molecules like proteins to be exchanged between hepatocytes and bloodstream  Sinusoids have Kupffer cells that break down RBS for recycling cell components  Sinusoids receive mixture of oxygenated blood and eventually drain into hepatic vein

Nutrient Storage  Glycogen  Iron  Vitamin A  Vitamin D  Helps regulate nutrients in blooc

Detoxification properties of liver  Plasma proteins in cholesterol synthesized in liver  Detoxification  Alcohol consumption and liver damage Cirrhosis Fat accumulation inflammation