The Liver (Figure 7.1)

The liver is an accessory digestive organ found only in vertebrates. It has many functions (Zakim and Boyer suggest as many as 500 in Hepatology: A Textbook of Liver Disease); herewith the more important ones:

1) Production of bile, an alkaline fluid that is involved in the breakdown of ingested fat; it contains cholesterol and bile acids

2) Protein synthesis, e.g. hormones and enzymes

3) Regulation of glycogen storage

4) Decomposition of red blood cells.

7.2