Digestion and Absorption

| 241

LÏVËR :



Largest gland (1.2 - 1.5 kg) Reddish brown.



Situated in abdominal cavity, just below the

diaphragm.



Bilobed (large right lobe & small left lobe). Each

lobe is formed of hepatic lobules (structural &

functional units).



A lobule has many hepatic cells arranged as

cords around a central vein. They secrete alkaline bile juice.



Liver lobule is covered by Glisson’s capsule.



Bile secreted by the hepatic cells, passes through the hepatic ducts &

is stored & concentrated in a thin muscular sac called the gall bladder.



The duct of gall bladder (cystic duct) along the hepatic duct from the

liver forms the common bile duct.

Bile is transported from liver to duodenum as follows:

Bile ® hepatic duct ® gall bladder ®

cystic duct ® common bile duct ®

common hepato®pancreatic duct ®

duodenum.



Hepato-pancreatic duct is guarded by sphincter of Oddi. (NEET 2016)



Bile has no enzymes but contains bile pigments (bilirubin & biliverdin),

bile salts, cholesterol and phospholipids.

PÅÑÇRËÅS :

Second largest gland. Seen near duodenal loop

It is a cream-coloured heterocrine gland, i.e. it has both exocrine and

endocrine parts.

The exocrine part has a pancreatic duct or duct of wirsung that opens

into duodenum along with bile duct (hepato-pancreatic duct).

Acini cell is functional unit of the exocrine pancreas, it secretes alkaline

pancreatic juice. It contains inactive protease enzymes (trypsinogen,

chymotrypsinogen & procarboxypeptidases), amylases, lipases &

nucleases. (NEET 2017)