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Physiological Functions of the Liver

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Comprehensive Human Physiology

Abstract

The liver has a strategically important position in the circulation. It is the first organ that comes in contact with the blood after its exposure to the intestine. This implies not only that the liver faces absorbed nutrients, xenobiotics, toxins and gut-derived microorganisms, which need to be processed before entering the systemic circulation, first, but also suggests a hepatic role in the excretion of compounds into the intestinal lumen, in addition to the sensing and processing of gut-derived signals that then may trigger the function of other organs. Thus, in a wide sense the liver acts as a preparation plant for both hardware and software delivery to other organs.

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  1. D. Häussinger
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  1. Physiologisches Institut, Universität Freiburg, Hermann-Herder-Str. 7, 79104, Freiburg, Germany

    Rainer Greger

  2. Faculty of Medicine, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive N.W., T2N 4N1, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

    Uwe Windhorst

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© 1996 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Häussinger, D. (1996). Physiological Functions of the Liver. In: Greger, R., Windhorst, U. (eds) Comprehensive Human Physiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-60946-6_68

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-60946-6_68

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-64619-5

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