Where is the human liver area

There are five internal organs and six bowels in our body, and different organs are located in different locations. Generally speaking, we all know the approximate location of organs, what their main functions are, and even some common diseases. So, can you tell exactly where the human liver area is? Many people may know the approximate location of the liver. Let’s take a look at the details below.

Most of the human liver is located in the right hypochondrium and upper abdomen, and a small part is located in the left hypochondrium. The upper limit is at the fifth rib at the level of the right clavicle midline. The upper part is close to the diaphragm and is adjacent to the right lung and heart; the lower part is adjacent to the stomach, duodenum, and right flexure of the colon; the back is in contact with the right kidney, adrenal gland and esophageal cardia. It is the largest gland in the human body, reddish-brown, soft and brittle, wedge-shaped, with a rounded and blunt right end and a flat and thin left end. It can be divided into upper and lower surfaces, front and back edges, and left and right lobes. It generally weighs about 1200-1600g, accounting for about 1/50 of the adult body weight. The male liver is slightly heavier than the female liver. The adult liver weighs 1.4-1.8 kg for males and 1.2-1.4 kg for females. The liver of a fetus and newborn is relatively large, accounting for up to 1/20 of body weight. The normal liver is reddish-brown in appearance and soft and brittle in texture. The liver is in an irregular wedge shape, with the right side blunt and thick and the left side narrow. The general left-right diameter (length) is about 25 cm, the front-back diameter (width) is about 15 cm, and the upper-lower diameter (thickness) is about 6 cm. The upper part is rounded and in contact with the diaphragm, while the lower part is flatter and adjacent to the stomach, duodenum, gall bladder and colon. The upper border of the liver is consistent with the position of the diaphragm, approximately in the fifth intercostal space on the right. The liver has a certain degree of mobility and can move up and down with changes in body position and breathing; the lower border of the liver generally does not exceed the costal arch, and under normal circumstances it cannot be felt under the costal margin. Sometimes it can be touched under the xiphoid process, but generally does not exceed 3cm, while in children it can often be touched under the costal margin.

Function

(1) From the perspective of collective metabolism, it has the following functions: ① Vitamin metabolism. The synthesis and storage of various vitamins, such as A, B, C, D and K, are closely related to the liver. When the liver is obviously damaged, vitamin A deficiency may occur, resulting in night blindness or dry skin syndrome. ②Hormone metabolism. The liver is involved in the inactivation of hormones. When liver function is damaged for a long time, sex hormone imbalance may occur, including loss of libido, sparse or missing axillary and pubic hair, impotence, testicular atrophy, breast development in men, irregular menstruation in women, liver palms and spider nevi, etc. ③The liver participates in the water metabolism process through the action of nerves and body fluids, offsetting the effect of antidiuretic hormone in the posterior pituitary gland to maintain normal urine output. The liver also has the function of regulating acid-base balance and mineral metabolism, and is also an important organ for supplying heat energy.

(2) Function of secreting and excreting bile: The liver produces about one liter of bile in 24 hours, which is transported to the gallbladder through the bile duct. The gallbladder concentrates and discharges bile to promote the digestion and absorption of fat in the small intestine.

(3) Detoxification function: Toxic substances from outside or produced by metabolism in the body must be detoxified in the liver and converted into non-toxic or highly soluble substances, which are then excreted from the body with bile or urine.

(4) Blood-related functions: The liver is the main hematopoietic organ in the fetus, but is replaced by the bone marrow in adults and the hematopoietic function stops. However, in certain pathological conditions, its hematopoietic function is restored. In addition, almost all clotting factors are produced by the liver. The liver plays an important regulatory role in the dynamic balance of the human body's coagulation and anticoagulation systems. Therefore, the severity of liver function damage is often parallel to the degree of coagulation disorder, and patients with liver failure often have severe bleeding.