THE human liver is the largest glandular organ in the body. It is often referred to as the chemical factory of the human body. It is located on the right side of the abdomal cavity, below the diaphragm. It is protected from damage by the lower ribs. The organ is reddish brown in colour and weighs about 1.36 kg.

Normally, it is not possible to feel the liver from outside. However, when it enlarges due to disease, it can be felt from behind the ribs when the abdomen is pushed in .

The liver is divided into four unequal lobes. It receives its blood supply from two main blood vessels, namely the hepatic artery and the portal vein. The hepatic artery carries oxygenated blood from the aorta. The portal vein on the other hand carries the blood containing the digested food from the small intestine. These blood vessels get sub-divided further in the liver. They terminate as fine capillaries. Each capillary lead to a particular lobule. liver tissues are made of thousands of lobules. Each lobule is made up of hepatic cells which form the basic metabolic unit of the liver.

The liver has two primary functions and that is synthesis of new chemicals and neutralizing poison.

Scientists have discovered that it actually performs about 500 different functions. Some of the functions performed by the liver are breaking down of fat, conversion of glucose into glycogen, production of urea, certain amino acids (building units of protein), maintenance of the glucose level in the blood. The liver also produces cholesterol.

The liver has amazing properties of regeneration. It only degenerates when subjected to continuous abuse.