Digestive Glands
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This is somewhat of a caudoventral view. My gloved hand is grasping the left lateral
lobe of the liver.
The green sac-like structure is the gall bladder (A). It's function is the storage of bile, and bile's function is to emulsify fat in the duodenum. Other than the production of bile, what is/are the function(s) of the liver? Also labelled is the body (B) and pyloris (C) of the stomach; the descending duodenum (D); and the spleen (E). Can you tell me a common function of the liver and the spleen?
Do not forget to review the histology of the liver [ Lab 11H ] .
In addition to the exocrine function of secreting bile, the liver also produces blood proteins, such as albumin and clotting factors, it detoxifies the blood, and like the spleen, it contains macrophages that remove old or structurally damaged erythrocytes.