ABSTRACT

The liver is a vitally important organ of the human body, constituting about 5% of the body weight in the infant, and 3% in the adult; it receives around 28% of the total blood flow and consumes 20% of the oxygen used by the body (1). The liver performs special functions as a guardian inter­ posed between the digestive tract and rest of the body. Absorbed dietary nutrients of the diet pass directly to the liver via the portal blood system or through the lymphatic system (long-chain fatty acids). The liver handles nutrients such as carbohydrates, amino acids, fats, vitamins, and miner­ als as well as toxic pollutants such as alkaloids, xenobiotics, endotoxins, and all other potentially harmful antinutrients of the diet. These are stored, metabolized, and excreted by the liver into the blood or bile. The liver also has an important role in the synthesis of specialized transport pro­ teins of the blood plasma and those needed to maintain the integrity of the circulation, e.g., blood clotting factors.