Where is the liver anatomically

Click Image to Enlarge. The liver has 2 main sections lobes. Both are made up of 8 segments. The segments are made up of a thousand small lobes lobules. The lobules are connected to small ducts tubes that connect with larger ducts to ultimately form the common hepatic duct.

Your health information, right at your fingertips. Read the Latest. Anatomy of the Liver The liver is the largest and perhaps the most complex organ in the body. Each lobe is made up of thousands of hexagonally-shaped lobules. These lobules are very small.

Each lobule is made up of numerous liver cells, called hepatocytes, that line up in radiating rows. Between each row are sinusoids. It is formed from the intersection of the right and left hepatic ducts.

Falciform Ligament : A thin, fibrous ligament that separates the two lobes of the liver and connects it to the abdominal wall.

Hepatic Artery : The main blood vessel that supplies the liver with oxygenated blood. Hepatic Portal Vein : The blood vessel that carries blood from the gastrointestinal tract, gallbladder, pancreas, and spleen to the liver. Lobes : The anatomical sections of the liver. Lobules : Microscopic building blocks of the liver. Peritoneum : A membrane covering the liver that forms the exterior.

Maintaining a Healthy Liver The best way to avoid liver disease is to take active steps toward a healthy life. The following are some recommendations that will help keep the liver functioning as it should: Avoid Illicit Drugs : Illicit drugs are toxins that the liver must filter out.

Taking these drugs can cause long-term damage. Drink Alcohol Moderately : Alcohol must be broken down by the liver. While the liver can moderate amounts, excessive alcohol use can cause damage. These lobules are connected to small ducts tubes that connect with larger ducts to form the common hepatic duct. The common hepatic duct transports the bile made by the liver cells to the gallbladder and duodenum the first part of the small intestine via the common bile duct. The liver regulates most chemical levels in the blood and excretes a product called bile.

This helps carry away waste products from the liver. All the blood leaving the stomach and intestines passes through the liver. The liver processes this blood and breaks down, balances, and creates the nutrients and also metabolizes drugs into forms that are easier to use for the rest of the body or that are nontoxic.