Liver
hideThe liver is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals; it has a wide range of functions, a few of which are detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion. The liver is necessary for survival; there is currently no way to compensate for the absence of liver function.
This organ plays a major role in metabolism and has a number of functions in the body, including glycogen storage, decomposition of red blood cells, plasma protein synthesis, hormone production, and detoxification. It lies below the diaphragm in the thoracic region of the abdomen. It produces bile, an alkaline compound which aids in digestion, via the emulsification of lipids. It also performs and regulates a wide variety of high-volume biochemical reactions requiring highly specialized tissues, including the synthesis and breakdown of small and complex molecules, many of which are necessary for normal vital functions.
Medical terms related to the liver often start in hepato- or hepatic from the Greek word for liver, hēpar (ήπαρ).
For more information about Liver, read the full article at
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News tagged with liver
Radiology procedure may help increase long-term survival in patients with severe liver cancer
Nov 20, 2009 |
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In patients with unresectable (unable to be removed by surgery) liver cancer, an interventional radiology procedure called triple-drug transcatheter arterial chemoemobolization (TACE) followed by a liver transplant may significantly ...
Rare pancreatic cancer patients may live longer when treated with radiation therapy
Nov 20, 2009 |
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Radiation therapy is effective in achieving local control and palliation in patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNTs), despite such tumors being commonly considered resistant to radiation therapy, according to ...
Toward explaining why hepatitis B hits men harder than women
Nov 18, 2009 |
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Scientists in China are reporting discovery of unusual liver proteins, found only in males, that may help explain the long-standing mystery of why the hepatitis B virus (HBV) sexually discriminates -- hitting ...
Is hepatic differentiation of embryonic stem cells induced by valproic acid and cytokines?
Nov 18, 2009 |
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Embryonic stem (ES) cells, known for their capacity to proliferate indefinitely and differentiate into almost all types of cells including hepatocytes, have raised the hope of cellular replacement therapy for liver failure. ...
Unexplained liver hemorrhage after metastasis radiofrequency ablation
Nov 18, 2009 |
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Colorectal carcinoma is one of the most common cancers in the world. Approximately one in four of these patients have metastases at diagnosis, liver being the most common site involved. Although historically it was considered ...
Antifibrotic effects of green tea
Nov 18, 2009 |
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Several studies have shown that lipid peroxidation stimulates collagen production in fibroblasts and hepatic stellate cells (HSC), and plays an important role in the development of liver fibrosis. Hepatoprotective effects ...
Common herbal medicine may prevent acetaminophen-related liver damage
Nov 17, 2009 |
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A well-known Eastern medicine supplement may help avoid the most common cause of liver transplantation, according to a study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. The finding came as a surprise to ...
Largest-ever database for liver proteins may lead to treatments for hepatitis
Nov 11, 2009 |
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Scientists at a group of 11 research centers in China are reporting for the first time assembly of the largest-ever collection of data about the proteins produced by genes in a single human organ.
Scientists reveal a new mechanism that increases atherosclerosis in mice
Nov 05, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- For all the good it does, a liver protein that senses and gets rid of drugs and pollutants from our body has a downside. For the first time, it has been shown that when it is chronically activated, ...
FDA launches plan to curb accidental overdoses
Medicine & Health / Medications
Nov 04, 2009 |
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(AP) -- The Food and Drug Administration is launching a program to try and prevent millions of accidental drug overdoses that occur each year due to medication errors, misuse and other problems.
Extending treatment after liver transplant may benefit patients with hepatitis C recurrence
Nov 01, 2009 |
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Extending hepatitis C treatment for liver transplant patients beyond current practice results in high rates of clearance of the hepatitis C virus from the blood, as well as a low rate of relapse, according to a Henry Ford ...
Left side grafting is procedure of choice for adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation
Oct 29, 2009 |
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A recent study by doctors at Shinshu University, School of Medicine, in Japan determined that left side grafting has lower risk to donors compared to grafts taken from the right lobe, and it appears to be the procedure of ...
Examining genetic variations among the Huichol population of Mexico
Oct 26, 2009 |
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Mexican researchers examined the polymorphisms of three enzymes -- alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH1B), aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2) and cytochrome P4502E1 (CYP2E1) -- in the Mestizo and Huichol groups.The Huichols, an indigenous ...
The correlation between incidental NAFLD and carotid atherosclerosis
Oct 23, 2009 |
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Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is often caused by abdominal obesity, which is also one of the main causes of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. The latter, in turn, is an important cardiovascular risk factor, ...
Reprogramming a patient's eye cells may herald new treatments against degenerative disease
Oct 22, 2009 |
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Scientists have overcome a key barrier to the clinical use of stem cells with a technique which transforms regular body cells into artificial stem cells without the need for introducing foreign genetic materials, which could ...
