A Healthy Liver Is Vital To Our Well-Being

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The liver is located just below the diaphragm in the right upper quadrant of the abdominal cavity. Unlike most other organs in our body, the liver is solid. It is involved in a number of vitally important metabolic, digestive and storage-related processes.

The liver converts carbohydrates from digested foods into a sugar called glucose; cells then use this to meet their energy requirements. Any extra glucose that is not immediately needed for energy is converted by the liver into a starch called glycogen. When the body needs some additional energy, the liver will reconvert the glycogen to glucose and then release it into the bloodstream. This conversion and storage process is very helpful in the maintenance of normal glucose levels.

Fatty acids are the end products of ingested fat that are transported to the liver from the small intestine. When the body needs energy, but glucose is not available, the liver can convert fatty acids into energy. The oxidation (combining with oxygen) of the fatty acids results in the formation of cholesterol and ketones. Cholesterol is primarily used to produce bile and thereby aid in digestion; ketones can be a source of energy under normal conditions. If there are too many ketones, however, they can build up in the blood and cause the blood to become acidic (low pH resulting in metabolic acidosis).

The liver is also responsible for breaking proteins apart into amino acids, which are then used as a source of energy and an aid in building and repairing tissue. When the liver metabolizes amino acids, ammonia is formed. The liver then converts this ammonia into urea, a substance that is eventually excreted in urine.

The liver is responsible for producing and secreting bile, a fluid that aids in digestion. When a person eats food that contains fat, bile is releases by the liver and then used to emulsify (break down) that fat in the small intestine. Under normal conditions, bile passes through the gallbladder on its way from the liver to the small intestine.

One of the major components of bile is bilirubin, a product of red blood cell destruction. Bilirubin forms when hemoglobin is broken down in the liver; the liver then secretes this bilirubin into bile, and it is eventually eliminated in feces.

The liver also stores and absorbs the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K as well as the mineral iron.

Vitamin A is essential for normal growth and development, visual acuity, adaptation of the eyes to dark environments, and maintenance of the body's ability to resist infections.

Vitamin D is necessary for calcium and phosphorus absorption and the development of teeth and bones.

Vitamin E promotes the stability of red blood cells and may help counter the production of free radicals that results form excess secretion of stress hormone.

Vitamin K is essential for blood coagulation and the synthesis of prothrombin by the liver. Prothrombin is used in the formation of thrombin, an enzyme that aids in blood clotting. Vitamin K also appears to inhibit the growth of oxalate stones and help regulate calcium levels in the blood.

Iron, a component of hemoglobin, is important for oxygen transport in the blood.