BETA
Chapter 1
The ultimate multi tasker
Chapter 2
The magic of self healing
Chapter 3
The digestive power plant
Chapter 4
The ultimate security guard
YOUR GOAL
Master of The amazing human liver
Ch 4 · The ultimate security guard
artiteacher Block harmful toxins to discover how the liver acts as the body's chemical factory.
artiteacher The ultimate security guard
Cut me down to a quarter, I'll still grow right back to guard you!
artiteacher The liver converts highly toxic ammonia, a byproduct of protein digestion, into safe urea.
artiteacher The liver uses specific enzymes to break down alcohol, which is highly toxic to human cells.
Fun Fact
Liver filtration: The liver filters about 1.4 liters of blood every minute, cleaning your entire blood supply many times daily.
Glossary
kupffer cell (noun)
A specialized macrophage found in the liver that filters pathogens and foreign debris from the blood. German anatomist Karl Wilhelm von Kupffer first discovered these resident immune cells in 1876.
A specialized macrophage found in the liver that filters pathogens and foreign debris from the blood. German anatomist Karl Wilhelm von Kupffer first discovered these resident immune cells in 1876.
Quiz
Which enzyme is primarily responsible for the first step of breaking down alcohol in the liver?
Quiz
The liver converts toxic ammonia from protein digestion into which safer substance?
Quiz
What percentage of the body's macrophage immune cells reside in the liver as Kupffer cells?