ABSTRACT
This chapter will provide the reader with a morphological and functional overview of the
liver in relation to the many biochemical and enzymatic reactions that take place in
the organ. The liver has a major role in drug metabolism and toxicity, and the integrity of
the individual cellular elements is essential to maintain homeostasis and essential
detoxifying mechanisms. Different cell types and organelles within cells interact with each
other and participate in basic metabolic reactions, protein synthesis, and biotransformation
of xenobiotics. Although a significant portion of liver activity involves providing the
proteins, lipoproteins, and carriers necessary for normal function, the protective effect of
the liver is reflected in its ability to detoxify foreign compounds, metabolize drugs, and
provide compensatory mechanisms for diverse reactions that may compromise cell
survival. Liver cells constitute individual elementary reactors with separate compartments
that synthesize, hydrolyze, conjugate, or oxidize exogenous and endogenous chemicals.
Therefore, the study of liver cells is of primary interest to scientists interested in hepatic
drug metabolism. The delicate architecture of the hepatocyte must be renewed frequently
so that it can perform effectively in response to adverse effects or injury. Above all,
numerous anabolic or catabolic activities are under control from the nucleus, which houses
all the replicative and messaging functions necessary for structural integrity. The use of
combined microscopic and functional approaches can provide an integrated view on drug
metabolism and biotransformation. This approach offers some advantages over the
uncertainties that can emerge from studies that disrupt the normal cell architecture, as
occurs with techniques of isolation and separation of cellular components.
