The liver is only found in animals with backbones (vertebrates). It acts as a filter for your blood and as a chemical factory. It is located in your upper right side, just below the right lung and just below the diaphragm.
The liver breaks down worn out Red Blood Cells, stores glycogen (high energy sugar compound), produces BILE that breaks down fats in your intestines.
FACTS ABOUT THE LIVER
1. It stocks iron: Our liver acts as a warehouse that takes out important vitamins and nutrients from the food we eat and stocks them up. It keeps supplying these nutrients to the body when we need them. It also stores iron and maintains a constant supply of it to the body.
2. Largest glandular organ: Our liver is the largest glandular organ of the human body, its weight is around 1.36 kilograms and is reddish-brown in color. It’s the second largest organ besides skin.
3. Multifunctional: Our liver is like a super computer with a very fast processor. It performs over 200 important functions for the body simultaneously. Some of these important functions include supplying glucose to the brain, combating infections, and storing nutrients.
4. It contains fat: 10% of our liver is made up of fat. If the fat content in the liver goes above 10% its called fatty liver and makes you more likely to get type 2 diabetes. Fatty liver fails at storing glycogen made by glucose from food.
5. Detoxifier: Our liver is the biggest detoxifying agent in our body. It detoxifies the harmful things we take in like alcohol and drugs. Without the liver the body cannot process these items.
6. All pervasive: Studies show that every vertebrate (living beings with spinal cord or backbone) on this planet has a liver. It’s necessary in these organisms for survival.
7. Inventor of blood: The liver creates the blood that circulates in our bodies. Currently, there is a lot of work being made toward the creation of artificial blood. Article The liver starts producing blood before we are born. Without the liver there would be no blood and no life.
8. It regenerates: Our liver has the amazing ability to regenerate itself which makes surgeries like liver transplant possible. When people donate half their liver to someone who needs it, the remaining part of the liver regenerates the donated part.
9. Hormone processor: Our liver is the primary site of hormone breakdown. It breaks down hormones like estrogen and testosterone then converts them into bile which then enters our intestines. Bile is necessary for digestion and emulsifying fats.
10. Protein creator: Our body needs protein to grow and work properly. The food we eat is not sufficient for fulfilling the protein needs of our body therefore the liver produces its own protein.
11. Clotting agent: The enzymes and chemicals required to form blood clots to stop bleeding are secreted by the liver. People with an unhealthy liver bleed easily.
12. Color of stool: Our liver produces bile which is responsible for giving our stool its characteristic brown color. If the color of the stool is not brown it means something is wrong with the liver.
13. Stock of liveliness: Our liver works like a battery. It stores sugar and whenever our body needs it, the liver provides it. Without this stocking of sugar our blood sugar levels fall drastically and we can become very ill, even comatose.
14. Medicine converter: Our body cannot use medicines we take, our liver converts medicine into a form accepted by our bodies. Without the liver medicine would be useless.
The liver breaks down worn out Red Blood Cells, stores glycogen (high energy sugar compound), produces BILE that breaks down fats in your intestines.
FACTS ABOUT THE LIVER
1. It stocks iron: Our liver acts as a warehouse that takes out important vitamins and nutrients from the food we eat and stocks them up. It keeps supplying these nutrients to the body when we need them. It also stores iron and maintains a constant supply of it to the body.
2. Largest glandular organ: Our liver is the largest glandular organ of the human body, its weight is around 1.36 kilograms and is reddish-brown in color. It’s the second largest organ besides skin.
3. Multifunctional: Our liver is like a super computer with a very fast processor. It performs over 200 important functions for the body simultaneously. Some of these important functions include supplying glucose to the brain, combating infections, and storing nutrients.
4. It contains fat: 10% of our liver is made up of fat. If the fat content in the liver goes above 10% its called fatty liver and makes you more likely to get type 2 diabetes. Fatty liver fails at storing glycogen made by glucose from food.
5. Detoxifier: Our liver is the biggest detoxifying agent in our body. It detoxifies the harmful things we take in like alcohol and drugs. Without the liver the body cannot process these items.
6. All pervasive: Studies show that every vertebrate (living beings with spinal cord or backbone) on this planet has a liver. It’s necessary in these organisms for survival.
7. Inventor of blood: The liver creates the blood that circulates in our bodies. Currently, there is a lot of work being made toward the creation of artificial blood. Article The liver starts producing blood before we are born. Without the liver there would be no blood and no life.
8. It regenerates: Our liver has the amazing ability to regenerate itself which makes surgeries like liver transplant possible. When people donate half their liver to someone who needs it, the remaining part of the liver regenerates the donated part.
9. Hormone processor: Our liver is the primary site of hormone breakdown. It breaks down hormones like estrogen and testosterone then converts them into bile which then enters our intestines. Bile is necessary for digestion and emulsifying fats.
10. Protein creator: Our body needs protein to grow and work properly. The food we eat is not sufficient for fulfilling the protein needs of our body therefore the liver produces its own protein.
11. Clotting agent: The enzymes and chemicals required to form blood clots to stop bleeding are secreted by the liver. People with an unhealthy liver bleed easily.
12. Color of stool: Our liver produces bile which is responsible for giving our stool its characteristic brown color. If the color of the stool is not brown it means something is wrong with the liver.
13. Stock of liveliness: Our liver works like a battery. It stores sugar and whenever our body needs it, the liver provides it. Without this stocking of sugar our blood sugar levels fall drastically and we can become very ill, even comatose.
14. Medicine converter: Our body cannot use medicines we take, our liver converts medicine into a form accepted by our bodies. Without the liver medicine would be useless.
- The Gall Bladder
The liver makes a green, slimy, substance called bile. Bile travels through the bile duct and into the small intestine very close to the stomach to break down fats. The gall bladder is attached to the liver. If you have ever cleaned a fish, you may have seen the small greenish-yellow sack filled with a greenish-yellow liquid. That would have been the fishes gall bladder and bile.