Liver is the largest internal organ of the body weighing about 1500g in adults. It occupies the right hypochondrium and extends into the epigastrium and left hypochondrium .

2. ANATOMY OF
LIVER
Presented by
Saranya chandran
4th year Bsc Nursing
Nehru College of

4. INTRODUCTION
The liver is the largest gland of the body ,
occupying much of the right upper part of
the abdominal cavity. It consists of both
exocrine and endocrine parts. The liver
performs a wide range of metabolic activities
necessary for homeostasis, nutrition and
immune response.

5. THE LIVER
The liver is the largest internal
organ of the body weighing about
1500g ( 1.5kg) in adults. It occupies
the right hypochondrium and
extends into the epigastrium and left
hypochondrium.

6. • LOCATION : It fully occupies the
right hypochondrium , upper part
of the epigastrium, and part of
left hypochondrium upto left
lateral line.
• SHAPE : Wedge shaped organ
• COLOUR : Reddish brown in
colour.

7. EXTERNAL FEATURES
•The liver presents 2 well defined
surfaces and one border.
•SURFACES : * Diaphragmatic surface
* Visceral surface
• BORDER : * Inferior border

8. * DIAPHRAGMATIC SURFACE
•It is a dome shaped surface, includes
smooth peritoneal areas which face
superiorly, anteriorly and to the right
and a rough bare area which faces
posteriorly.

9. • It is further subdivided into :
- superior surfaces
- Anterior surfaces
- Right lateral surfaces
- Posterior surfaces
• FEATURES :
- Bare area of liver
- Groove for IVC
- Fissure for ligamentum
venosum
- Attachment of ligaments.

10. * VISERAL SURFACE
• It is flat or concave.
• It is separated in front from the
diaphragmatic surface by sharp
inferior border and behind from
the diaphragm by posterior layer of
coronary ligament.
• FEATURES :
- fossa for gall bladder
- fissure for ligamentum teres
hepatis
- Porta hepatis

11. * INFERIOR BORDER
• It separates the diaphragmatic
surface from visceral surface.
• It is thin and sharp.
• It presents 2 notches :
- Notch for ligamentum
teres or interlobar notch
- cystic notch

12. LOBES OF LIVER
1. ANATOMICAl LOBES
2. PHYSIOLOGICAL LOBES

13. 1.ANATOMICAL LOBES
• On diaphragmatic surface, the liver is divided into two lobes : Right lobe
Left lobe
• They are separated from each other by a ligament called falciform ligament
• On the visceral surface, the liver is divided into 4 lobes :
- Right lobe : to right of fossa of gall bladder
- left lobe : left of fissure for ligamentum teres and ligamentum venosum
- Quadrate lobe : seen on inferior surface of right lobe
Caudate lobe : situated on posterior surface of right lobe.

15. 2.PHYSIOLOGICAL LOBES
• The liver is divided into Right and Left physiological
lobes by an imaginary sagittal plane.
• On postero-superior surface, this plane passes
through fossa of gall bladder, to the groove of IVC
• On Antero-superior surface, this plane passes from
IVC to cystic notch present a little to right of
falciform ligament.

17. LIGAMENTS OF LIVER
•Two types : 1. False ligaments
2. True ligaments
1.FALSE LIGAMENTS : Includes,
a. Falciform ligament : It is a sickle shaped fold
of peritoneum connecting the liver to the
undersurface of the diaphragm and anterior
abdominal wall

18. b. Coronary ligament : A triangular fold of peritoneum
connecting the bare area of liver to the diaphragm.
c. Right triangular ligament : A small triangular fold of
peritoneum which connects the right lateral surface of
liver to the diaphragm.
d. Left triangular ligament : A very small triangular fold of
peritoneum which connects the upper surface of left lobe
to the diaphragm.
e. Lesser omentum : double fold of peritoneum connects
lesser curvature of stomach to the liver.

20. 2. TRUE LIGAMENTS
Remnants of fetal structures, includes :
a. Ligamentum teres hepatis : remnant of obliterated
left umbilical vein and extends from the umbilicus to the
left branch of portal vein.
b. Ligamentum venosum : Remnant of obliterated
ductus venosus which in fetal life connects the left
branch of the portal vein with the Inferior Vena cava.

22. • Diaphragmatic surface
1. Superior surface : Related to the diaphragm
2. Anterior surface : Related to the xiphoid
process and anterior abdominal wall in the
median plane and diaphragm on each side.
3. Right lateral surface : Related to the
RELATIONS

24. 4 . Posterior surface : This surface presents,
a. Bare area of liver : Related to the diaphragm and
upper pole of right kidney .
b. Caudate lobe : Related to superior recess of lesser
Sac
c. Fissure for ligamentum venosum : deep cleft to the
left of Caudate lobe. Lodges the obliterated ductus
venosus.
d. Posterior surface of left lobe : related to abdominal
part of the esophagus.

26. • VISCERAL SURFACE
This oval surface is divided into right and left lobes by
the fissure for ligamentum venosum and the fissure for
ligamentum teres.
* left lobe is related to stomach.
* Right lobe presents 3 features :
- Quadrate lobe : Related to pyloric end of stomach and
first part of duodenum.
-

27. - fossa for gall bladder : lies to the
right of Quadrate lobe, occupied by gall
bladder with its cystic duct close to the
right end of Porta hepatis.
- Porta hepatis : It is a transverse
fissure, separates the Quadrate lobe from

28. FUNCTIONS
• Secretion of bile
• Storage of glycogen
•Synthesizes serum proteins and lipids
•Metabolism of fat
•Storage of iron in the form of ferritin

29. • Carbohydrate metabolism
• Deamination of amino acids and production
of ammonia
• Storage of vitamins
• Production of plasma proteins .
• Clotting factor production.

30. BLOOD SUPPLY
•Liver receives blood from 2 sources :
* The arterial blood is supplied by the
hepatic artery
* The venous blood is supplied by
portal vein.

32. VENOUS DRAINAGE
• Most of the venous blood from liver is
drained by three large hepatic veins :-
- Left hepatic vein
- Middle hepatic vein
- Right hepatic vein

33. NERVE SUPPLY
• The liver is supplied by both sympathetic
and para sympathetic fibers.
•The sympathetic fibres are derived from
the coeliac plexus.
•The para sympathetic fibres are derived
from hepatic branch of anterior vagal
trunk

34. HISTOLOGY
• The liver is covered by a connective tissue capsule
called Glisson’s capsule.
• The liver cells are arranged in plates or cords,
radiating from the central vein.
• Between the plates of cells are blood-filled spaces
called sinusoids.
• Arranged around the periphery of each lobule are
branches of : hepatic artery, portal vein, bile duct.

36. • The oxygenated blood from hepatic artery,
products of digestion and destruction of RBCs
from portal vein sinusoids Central
vein joins to form hepatic veins
Inferior Vena cava.
• Bile is secreted by the hepatocytes , into a
minute channel adjacent to these cells are called
biliary canaliculi. These canaliculi joins to form
larger ducts, finally emerge as Right and left

37. APPLIED ANATOMY
• Inflammation of liver – Hepatitis.
• Fracture of lower ribs or penetrating injury of upper
part of abdomen can injure the liver.
• Hematogenous spread of cancer from other parts of
the body Is very common .
• Enlargement of liver - Hepatomegaly.
• Cirrhosis of liver.

38. CONCLUSION
The liver is the largest organ of
the abdominal viscera, occupying a
substantial portion of the upper abdominal
cavity. It performs a wide range of
metabolic activities necessary for
homeostasis, nutrition and immune defense.

39. ASSIGNMENT
• Draw the structure of a liver. Label
it’s parts and list out the segments.

40. REFERENCES
• PR Ashalatha, Textbook of Anatomy, 2nd edition,
jaypee brothers medical publishers.
• Vishram Singh, Textbook of Anatomy abdomen and
lower limb, 2nd edition, Elsevier publications.
• Ross and Wilson, Anatomy and Physiology in health
and illness, 11th edition, Elsevier publications
• Dr. AK Jain, textbook of physiology, avichal
publishing company.