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11.1: Describe the blood supply to the liver
A11.1: Arterial blood from the hepatic artery supplies oxygen; venous blood from the inferior vena cava supplies nutrients and products of metabolic processes for further processing by the liver
11.2: How many segments make up the liver?
A:11.2: Eight.
11.3 What is the practical application of knowledge of the anatomy of the liver segments?
A11.3: Each segment has a separate branch of the blood supply, and can be surgically resected without disruption to the adjacent segments.
11.4: Why might a liver biopsy not be sufficient to identify disorders affecting the larger portal structures?
A11.4: Needle liver biopsies are taken from the periphery of the liver, distant from the hilum.
11.5: Name six major functions of the liver
A11.5: Metabolism of fats, carbohydrates and proteins. Synthesis of amino acids. Detoxification. Production and secretion of bile.
11.6: What is the difference between a liver lobule and a liver acinus?
A11.6: A lobule is an approximately hexagonal area of liver parenchyma surrounding a central venule, with portal tracts at each corner of the hexagon. An acinus describes a triangular area with two portal tracts at the base and a centrilobular vein at the apex.
11.7: What is the significance of the liver acinus in liver pathology?
A11.7: It is used to define zones of liver damage that may be characteristic of certain types of pathology
11.8: Why is the hepatocyte particularly rich in rough endoplasmic reticulum?
A11.8: The liver has a major role in protein synthesis
11.9: What is the function of Kupffer cells in the liver?
A11.9: They are macrophages, responsible for the removal of cell debris from spent erythrocytes and organisms by phagocytosis.
11.10: When does the liver start to develop in the human embryo?
A11.10: At around three weeks’ gestation.
11.11: What is the appearance of collagen in an untoned reticulin stain?
A11.11: Dark gold to brown.
11.12: What is the function of the gall bladder?
A11.12: It stores bile produced by the liver until it is needed for digestion of fats in the duodenum.
11.13: How many layers make up the gall bladder wall?
A11.13: Five – epithelium, lamina propria, smooth muscle, perimuscular connective tissue and serosa.
11.14: Why is the pancreas important in the pathology of the liver?
A11.14: It has a close anatomical relationship to the hilum of the liver, and pancreatic tumours may affect the common bile duct, or small gall stones may block the pancreatic duct, causing pancreatitis.