UNIVERSIDAD DE CARABOBO

FACULTAD DE CIENCIAS DE LA SALUD

ESCUELA DE BIOANLISIS
SEDE ARAGUA
DEPARTAMENTO DE IDIOMAS
ASIGNATURA: INGLS INSTRUMENTAL

The Liver
TEACHER:

GROUP:

Evelia Prince

Bello, Mara
Briceo, Alejandra
Camacho, Andrea
November, 2013

The Liver
The liver is the largest glandular organ in the body. It is a vital organ
that supports nearly every organ in the body in some facet. Without a healthy
liver, a person cannot survive.

Shaped and Properties

The liver is shaped like a triangle; it is a dark reddish-brown organ that
weighs about 3 pounds.
The liver is the only human organ that has the remarkable property of
self-regeneration. If a part of the liver is removed, the remaining parts can
grow back to its original size and shape.

Location
The liver is located in the above right-hand portion of the abdominal
cavity, below the diaphragm, and on top of the stomach, right kidney, and
intestines. The gallbladder sits under the liver, along with parts of the
pancreas.

Structure
There are, on the surface, four lobes: right, left, caudate and quadrate.
The Falciform ligament divides the liver into two main lobes, right and left,
with the right lobe being the larger and is sub- divided into the right lobe
proper, the caudate lobe and the quadrate lobe.

The undersurface of the liver, also known as the visceral surface, is

more irregular in appearance than is the domed convex upper surface. This
irregularity is caused by the fact that the inferior surface is in contact with:

The lower esophagus

The stomach

The right kidney and adrenal gland

Process and function

The liver regulates most chemical levels in the blood and excretes a
product called bile, which helps carry away waste products from the liver. All
the blood leaving the stomach and intestines passes through the liver. The
liver processes this blood and breaks down the nutrients and drugs into forms
that are easier to use for the rest of the body. Some of the more well-known
functions include the following:

Production of bile, which helps carry away waste and break down fats

in the small intestine during digestion.

Production of certain proteins for blood plasma.
Production of cholesterol and special proteins to help carry fats

through the body.

Conversion of poisonous ammonia to urea (urea is an end product of

protein metabolism and is excreted in the urine).

Clearing the blood of drugs and other poisonous substances.
Regulating blood clotting.
Resisting infections by producing immune factors and removing
bacteria from the bloodstream.

Liver diseases
Hepatitis
Hepatitis is a disease that includes any type of inflammation of the
liver, the result of a complex process that occurs when the liver suffers an
injury. Doctors call the inflammation that lasts less than six months acute
hepatitis and inflammation that lasts longer than six months chronic hepatitis.

Causes
Usually caused by viruses like hepatitis A, B, and C. Hepatitis can have
non-infectious causes too, including heavy drinking, drugs, allergic reactions,
or obesity.
The initial phase of hepatitis is called the acute phase. The symptoms
are like a mild flu, and may include:

Diarrhea

Fatigue
Loss of appetite
Mild fever
Nausea
Slight abdominal pain
Vomiting
As the patient gets worse, these symptoms may follow:

Dark urine
Light colored feces
Yellow skin, whites of eyes, tongue
Treatment

With hepatitis, there is no single medicine. Treatment is specific to its cause,

which means that your physician will choose the best therapy for you based
on your diagnosis. In the case of viral hepatitis, some viruses do respond to
antiviral treatment.

ANNEXES

Bibliography

http://medicalcenter.osu.edu/patientcare/healthcare_services/liver_biliary_pan
creatic_disease/liver_anatomy_function/Pages/index.aspx
http://www.healthline.com/human-body-maps/liver
http://hepatitis.about.com/od/overview/a/Liver_Import.htm
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/liverdiseases.html