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
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 ...
Trigger of deadly food toxin discovered
Oct 21, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- A toxin produced by mold on nuts and grains can cause liver cancer if consumed in large quantities. UC Irvine researchers for the first time have discovered what triggers the toxin to form, ...
Alcohol tolerance 'switch' found
Oct 21, 2009 |
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Researchers at North Carolina State University have found a genetic "switch" in fruit flies that plays an important role in making flies more tolerant to alcohol.
Drinking coffee slows progression of liver disease in chronic hepatitis C sufferers
Oct 20, 2009 |
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Patients with chronic hepatitis C and advanced liver disease who drink three or more cups of coffee per day have a 53% lower risk of liver disease progression than non-coffee drinkers according to a new study led by Neal ...
Checkered history of mother and daughter cells explains cell cycle differences (w/ Video)
Oct 19, 2009 |
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When mother and daughter cells are created each time a cell divides, they are not exactly alike. They have the same set of genes, but differ in the way they regulate them. New research now reveals that these regulatory differences ...
A case of post-gastrectomy acute pancreatitis
Oct 16, 2009 |
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A clinical research team from Taiwan reported a case of asymptomatic pancreatic divisum who underwent palliative subtotal gastrectomy for an advanced gastric cancer with liver metastasis. They concluded for patients with ...
How to identify early graft dysfunction preoperatively?
Oct 16, 2009 |
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Small-for-size graft dysfunction (SFSGD) following living-related liver transplantation (LRLT) is characterized by early graft dysfunction (EGD) when the graft-to-recipient body weight ratio (GRBWR) is below 0.8%. However, ...
A high fat diet during pregnancy can lead to severe liver disease in offspring
Oct 13, 2009 |
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Scientists have discovered a previously unknown link between a mother's diet in pregnancy and a severe form of liver disease in her child.
Common gene variant found to regulate iron levels
Oct 13, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- An international research team including researchers at UQ's Diamantina Institute and the Queensland Institute of Medical Research has identified a new variant of a gene that helps to regulate iron and haemoglobin ...
