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Biomedical Basics

Liver anatomy and detoxification function

  • Created by Henry Stewart Talks
Published on March 31, 2026   4 min

A selection of talks on Physiology & Anatomy

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This overview addresses liver anatomy and detoxification function with particular emphasis on the liver's anatomy, structural divisions, and its microscopic organization. We will review the liver's unique blood supply, the biliary system, and core functions such as detoxification, nutrient metabolism, and protein synthesis. Finally, we will discuss major liver disorders, including their impact on physiological functions and the importance of timely recognition and intervention. The liver is the largest gland in the body, weighing 1,300 to 1,600 grams and is mainly in the right hypochondrium, extending into the epigastrium and left hypochondrium. Anatomically, it's divided into a large right and smaller left lobe by the falciform ligament, with the caudate and quadrate lobes on its inferior surface beside the porta hepatis. The hepatic lobule, a cluster of hepatocytes around a central vein is its microscopic unit. Sinusoids and portal triads allow close blood cell interaction for diverse liver functions. The liver has a dual blood supply, oxygen rich blood from the hepatic artery, and nutrient rich blood from the portal vein. Blood flows through sinusoids, enabling exchange between hepatocytes and blood for nutrient processing and detoxification before draining into the central veins, then the inferior veno cara. The biliary system begins as canaliculi in hepatocytes, merging to form the common hepatic duct.

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Liver anatomy and detoxification function

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