Many people are very irresponsible about health. Along with the lucky ones who do not even know where the person’s liver is, since they have never experienced any problems with it, there are many who carelessness caused her serious illnesses. This article will talk about the structural features of this body and what can cause malfunctions in its functioning.
Appointment of the authority
The human liver is the digestive gland vital for him. It is entrusted with the fulfillment of a large number of physiological duties, and it is the largest of the glands in all vertebrate organisms.
The functions of the liver in the human body are:
- The neutralization of poisons, allergens and toxins that enter the body by converting them into less toxic, or into compounds that are more easily removed from the body naturally.
- Regulation of carbohydrate metabolism.
- Providing the body with glucose by converting glycerol, free fatty acids, lactic acid, amino acids and other substances.
- Removing from the body and neutralizing excess hormones, vitamins, mediators, as well as toxic metabolic products, such as ammonia, phenol, acetone, etc.
- The synthesis of bilirubin.
- Replenishment and storage of glycogen depot, vitamins A, D, B12, cations of copper, iron and cobalt.
- Participation in the metabolism of vitamins A, C, PP, D, B, E, K and folic acid.
- Synthesis of albumin, alpha and betaglobulins, etc. in the fetus during its intrauterine development.
- The synthesis of lipids and phospholipids, cholesterol, lipoproteins, etc., as well as the regulation of lipid metabolism.
- Storage of a significant amount of blood that is discharged into the general vascular bed during shock or blood loss due to narrowing of blood vessels, which provide blood supply to the liver.
- Synthesis of bile acids.
- The production and secretion of bile.
- Synthesis of hormones and enzymes involved in the transformation of food in the duodenum 12 and other sections of the small intestine.
The liver controls the pH level in human blood. If nutrients are absorbed correctly, a certain pH level is provided. When sugar, alcohol and other products are consumed, excess acid is formed that changes the pH level. Since the secretion of hepatic bile (pH 7.5−8) is close to alkaline, it allows you to keep this blood count close to normal. This provides blood purification and an increase in the immune threshold.
Where is the human liver
Oddly enough, many people with deep knowledge in different fields do not know the structure of their bodies at all. Many have no idea which side the person’s liver is (photo of the organ can be seen above).
For those who do not know, let's say that this organ is located in the abdominal cavity, under the diaphragm. More precisely, it is located on the right side of the peritoneum. Its lower part reaches the last right ribs, and the upper part occupies the entire space located between the left and right nipples. Thus, this organ is protected by a skeleton from impacts.
Location
Adult liver - a voluminous glandular organ weighing 1.5 kg. It produces bile and removes it along the duct into the duodenum. The upper surface of the liver is convex relative to the concave diaphragm, to which it tightly adheres.
The lower surface of the organ is facing down and back. She has impressions from the adjacent abdominal viscera.
The upper surface of the human liver is separated from the lower by a sharp lower edge, known as margo inferior.
The other edge of the organ, the superior posterior, is so obtuse that it is regarded as the surface of the liver.
The structure of the human liver
It is customary for this body to distinguish between 2 lobes: the larger right and the smaller left. On the diaphragmatic surface, they are separated by a crescent ligament. In its free edge is a dense fibrous circular ligament of the liver, stretching from the navel. During prenatal development, it was an umbilical vein, and after overgrowing and ceased to fulfill the function of blood supply.
Bending over the lower edge of the human liver, a round ligament forms a notch. It lies in the left longitudinal groove located on the visceral surface of this organ. Thus, the round ligament represents the border between the left and right lobes of the human liver (photo can be seen above).
A deep transverse groove on the visceral surface is called the portal of the liver. Through it go out the lymphatic vessels and the common hepatic duct that makes bile.
For most of its length, the liver is covered with peritoneum. An exception is the part of its posterior surface in which the liver is adjacent to the diaphragm.
Features of the liver and interactions with the gallbladder
The main component of this organ is the hepatic lobule. It is formed due to a special connecting capsule. The hepatic lobule consists of venules, hepatocytes and arterioles that form the bile ducts. One of them goes to the duodenum 12, and the other - to the gall bladder.
The last organ is located under the gate of the liver. It “lies” on the duodenum 12 and extends to the outer edge of the main filter of the human body. Outwardly, the gallbladder resembles a pear 12-18 cm long. It consists of a body, a narrowing neck and a wider bottom.
Segmental structure
There are 5 tubular systems in the liver:
- arteries
- biliary tract
- branches of the portal vein;
- hepatic veins;
- lymphatic vessels.
The structure of the liver includes: caudate lobe, right posterior and anterior segments, left lateral segments and medial particle. The first segment is the caudate hepatic lobule. She has clear boundaries with other segments. The second and third particles are separated by a venous ligament, and the fourth segment is disconnected by the hepatic portal. The right hepatic and inferior vena cava separate the 1st segment from the 7th segment region.
The left lobe occupies the second and third segments, the boundaries of which coincide with the boundaries of the site. The square hepatic lobe corresponds to the fourth segment, which lacks clear boundaries separating its right and left hepatic lobules.
The 5th segment is located behind the gallbladder, and the 6th segment is lower. The segmental structure of the liver ends with the 8th, the so-called “reed” segment.
Dimensions
Where is the human liver (photo of the location of the organ can be seen below) at the time of his birth? This question is often of interest to young mothers. I must say that the liver in infants is located in the same place as in adults. However, this organ occupies most of the abdominal cavity in them. It is believed that the size of the liver in the child is within normal limits, if the organ occupies 1/20 of its body, and the weight is 120-150 g.
In a young man, the latter indicator is usually 1200-1500 g, and in an adult, as already mentioned, - 1500-1700 g.
The right lobe has a length of 1 cm 1 mm - 1 cm 5 mm and the layer size is 11 cm 2 mm - 11 cm 6 mm, while the left has the last figure about 7 cm.
The inclined size of the right side is up to 1 cm 5 mm.
The length and height of the left side of the organ is about 10 cm.
The width of the liver as a whole is 2 - 2.25 cm. The length of the organ is 14 - 18 cm.
What signs indicate that the organ is affected
The fact that some people don’t know where the liver is located in a person causes her disease to become more severe, and sometimes even incurable. So, how to recognize liver problems?
If you began to notice frequent pain in the right hypochondrium and heaviness, and also you had bitterness in your mouth and a feeling of nausea, then hurry to the doctor. All of these signs may indicate one of the many diseases of this organ. You must immediately seek medical help and in no case do self-medication, as this will only aggravate the situation. In addition, many diseases of the human liver are directly dependent on their diet. To reduce the risk of problems with this body, it is necessary to exclude fatty and spicy foods, as well as alcohol.
The most common liver diseases
Diseases of this organ in most cases at the initial stage proceed without symptoms, since the human liver functions remain, even if the organ has lost up to 80 percent of its initial mass.
Thus, even those who are well aware of where the person has the liver, may not always recognize the problem.
Causes of liver disease
They are as follows:
- Metabolic disorders. The problem at any stage of the metabolism almost always leads to changes in the cells of this organ. In addition, a sedentary lifestyle, coupled with bad habits and improper and irregular nutrition, contributes to the occurrence of liver pathology due to metabolic disorders.
- Viral etiology. Hepatitis of this origin is the most common pathology of this organ. They are of various types, denoted in capital Latin letters from A to G. Such viruses penetrate the body through the blood enterally and sexually. They pose a real threat to hepatocytes and can lead to serious complications, including cirrhosis and tumors.
- Intake or synthesis of the largest amount of various toxins in it. In their disinfection, the leading role is given to hepatocytes. They are a kind of barrier on the "highway" from the digestive tract to the bloodstream of the human body. Hepatocytes acting as biofilters are involved in the neutralization of not only toxins coming from outside, but also formed during and after metabolic and digestive processes. Poor nutrition, alcohol, environmental problems over time worsen the functioning of liver cells. The constant supply of toxins prevents the restoration of liver reserve. A chronic process arises in the organ that noticeably affects its functions.
- Helminthiasis. In the human body there are about 400 species of parasites. The most common source of problems for the liver are echinococcus and trematode. The development cycle and migration of most parasites lies through the blood vessels, so sooner or later they enter the hepatic parenchyma.
- Oncological diseases of the liver. On the parenchyma of this organ, benign or malignant tumors may appear. The cause of their development may be failures in the processes of differentiation and division, as well as apoptosis of cells.
- Autoimmune causes. Many liver diseases result from immune disorders. Antibodies against the tissues and cells of the hepatic parenchyma circulate in the human body. A constant damaging effect causes sclerosis of the parenchyma, and also leads to the destruction of its normal components and to their replacement with special connective tissue fibers. Autoimmune disorders include hepatitis of this type, sclerosing primary cholangitis, as well as primary biliary cirrhosis.
Hepatitis A
The most common is this type A pathology. It is attributed to foodborne infections. Hepatitis A is transmitted by food and contact-household transmission. The main reason for the high incidence of this pathology is considered to be neglect of personal hygiene. The danger is also the infection of water bodies that are a source of drinking water.
Type A hepatitis is the mildest form of viral liver damage, as the body itself can cope with the infection. Treatment includes strict adherence to diet and sanitary-hygienic regimen.
Hepatitis B and C
Type B and C viral hepatitis is transmitted through the bloodstream and through sexual contact. In the first case, this can happen, for example, during medical manipulations, with piercing and tattooing.
More likely to be cured in patients with an acute form of the disease. In such cases, patients are prescribed symptomatic treatment, as well as maintenance and detoxification therapy.
If the disease has already become chronic, then serious antiviral treatment is needed to reduce the risk of developing carcinoma or cirrhosis. Unfortunately, the probability of a complete overcoming of the pathology is only 10-15 percent, and the most effective alpha interferons, which are analogues of nucleosides, have side effects and can cause complications.
Hepatitis C is even worse. For its treatment, antiviral agents are combined with Ribavirin. In parallel with this drug, immunomodulators, as well as detoxification agents, are prescribed. The main task is to stop the propagation of viral particles. Otherwise, there is a high risk of developing fibrosis, which is a manifestation of life-threatening cirrhosis of the hepatic parenchyma.
Diseases due to metabolic disorders
The palm belongs to fatty hepatosis, or obesity of the liver. Such diseases are the result of a failure of lipid metabolism at the macroorganism level. If the body is affected by fatty hepatosis, then a large amount of fatty inclusions is deposited in hepatocytes, and the size of the human liver increases sharply in volume. Symptoms of the disease manifest themselves in the form of disorders that are characteristic of many diseases.
The main causes of such problems are arterial hypertension, regular alcohol abuse, as well as type 2 diabetes mellitus, sudden weight loss and taking drugs from the category of glucocorticosteroids. If a combination of several of these factors occurs, then this leads to an increased risk of fatty hepatosis.
Hemochromatosis
A rare disease of the human liver (located in the right hypochondrium) is hemochromatosis, which is a consequence of poor heredity. If a person suffers from such a pathology, then a large amount of iron is absorbed from the cavity of his intestine. The consequence of the disease is its accumulation in various organs, especially in hepatocytes. Excess iron has an extremely negative effect on intracellular processes. Entering into the reaction, this chemical element destroys protein, including DNA. Unfortunately, at the moment this disease is incurable, therefore, as a result, cirrhosis of the liver occurs or a tumor develops. In addition, due to the fact that the disease is hereditary, there can be no question of its prevention.
Now you know where the person’s liver is, what diseases it is affected by, and how to avoid them. We hope that you will never have to face them. Be healthy!