The amazing human liver

BETA

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 Dismantling alcohol with alcohol dehydrogenase

artiteacher The liver converts highly toxic ammonia, a byproduct of protein digestion, into safe urea.

Dismantling alcohol with alcohol dehydrogenase

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.

Gossip

Which modern lifestyle habit is hardest on our bodies?

Quiz

What does the liver do to fat-soluble toxins to make them safe for excretion?

artiteacher Neutralizing daily toxins with liver enzymes

Quiz

Which organ is responsible for filtering out the urea produced by the liver?

artiteacher Converting toxic ammonia into safe urea

Quiz

Why is ammonia dangerous if the liver fails to convert it into urea?

artiteacher The Kupffer cells defending your blood

Quiz

Which enzyme is primarily responsible for the first step of breaking down alcohol in the liver?

Quiz

What is the name of the specialized immune cells found inside the liver?

Quiz

The liver converts toxic ammonia from protein digestion into which safer substance?

Quiz

Which toxic substance is produced first when the liver breaks down alcohol?

Quiz

What percentage of the body's macrophage immune cells reside in the liver as Kupffer cells?