ABSTRACT
The liver is a complex organ that operates both in series and in parallel with the gastrointestinal tract. After entering the portal system, the products of digestion come in contact with the liver parenchymal cells, or hepatocytes, which remove most of the carbohydrates, amino acids, and fats from the feeder circulation, therefore preventing excessive increases throughout the body after a meal. In the liver, these products are then stored, modified, and slowly released to the better advantage of the whole organism.
