Slide 1
The liver processes nutrients absorbed from the intestine
The liver receives many nutrients absorbed from the intestine. It processes, stores and redistributes materials carried in the blood.
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The hepatic portal vein brings blood from digestive organs to the liver before that blood rejoins the general circulation. A separate hepatic artery supplies oxygen-rich blood.
Slide 2
Storage helps bridge the gaps between meals
Nutrient arrival varies after meals. The liver helps smooth this changing supply so other tissues can keep working between meals.
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Glucose can be stored in glycogen, a branched carbohydrate reserve, and released as conditions change. Storage is regulated rather than an automatic decision to keep every incoming molecule.
Slide 3
Liver-made bile follows ducts toward the intestine
The liver makes bile, which travels through ducts toward the intestine. Bile helps the digestive system handle fats.
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Bile salts disperse fat into smaller droplets, improving access for digestive enzymes. This physical assistance differs from an enzyme chemically breaking a nutrient molecule apart.
Slide 4
The gallbladder stores and concentrates that bile
The gallbladder stores and concentrates bile between meals. It releases bile into the digestive route when it is needed.
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The liver and gallbladder are therefore not interchangeable organs. One makes the secretion and performs broad metabolic work; the other adjusts storage and delivery of that secretion.
Slide 5
Absorbed nutrients still need delivery to the tissues
Absorption does not finish the work of nutrition. Materials must still reach tissues in forms and quantities those tissues can use.
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Much absorbed fat enters intestinal lymph vessels before reaching the bloodstream. The liver is central to nutrient processing, but the route differs among nutrients rather than following one identical pipeline.
Sources
- Your Digestive System & How it Works
NIDDK, NIH
- Accessory Organs in Digestion: The Liver, Pancreas, and Gallbladder
OpenStax, Rice University