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Important
Information:
The
liver is the largest organ in the body. One of
its major functions is to break down harmful substances
absorbed from the intestine or manufactured elsewhere
in the body, then excrete them as harmless byproducts
into the bile or the blood. Byproducts in the
bile enter the intestine, and then leave the body
in the feces. Byproducts in the blood are filtered
out by the kidneys, and then leave the body in
the urine.
Another function of the liver is to create many
important compounds, especially proteins that
the body uses to carry out its functions. Among
these are clotting factors needed for the blood
to clot when bleeding occurs.
Abnormalities
of liver function can be divided broadly into
two groups: those caused by a malfunction of the
cells in the liver itself (such as cirrhosis or
hepatitis), and those caused by an obstruction
of bile flow from the liver through the biliary
tract (such as bile stones or cancer).
Liver disease can manifest itself in many different
ways. Manifestations of liver disease that are
particularly important include jaundice, cholestasis,
liver enlargement, portal hypertension, ascites,
liver encephalopathy, and liver failure.
The liver also converts substances in digested
food into proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Sugars
are stored in the liver as glycogen and then broken
down and released into the bloodstream as glucose
when needed--for example, when blood sugar levels
become too low.
Detoxification
is the removal of chemicals from the body that
are likely to cause tissue injury. Toxins that
come from outside the body, called xenobiotics,
include environmental chemicals, food chemicals
and contaminants, drugs and herbs, and chemicals
released from infectious organisms. Human also
naturally produce toxins.
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