The main structural components of the hepatobiliary system :

• Gross – Liver, intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile ducts, common bile duct, gallbladder

• Microscopic:
  • Hepatocytes, bile duct cells (biliary tract epithelium), sinusoids within liver
  • Organisation: Lobules vs Acini

Refer to your excellent lecture notes on the Microanatomy of the liver

• Note: Knowing the 2 main parenchymal cellular components helps make sense of the primary tumours that arise in the liver – hepatocellular or biliary epithlelial (glandular) in origin

• Note that the liver is special because of dual blood supply:
  • Portal vein (revise where it drains from!) à main blood supply to liver
  • Hepatic artery à supplies biliary tract; provides minor proportion of blood supple to liver

The main structural components of the hepatobiliary system :

• The main FUNCTIONS of the liver :
  • Metabolism
    • endogenous substances (lipids, carbohydrates, protein breakdown products)
    • exogenous substances (alcohol, drugs, toxins)
  • Synthesis of proteins
    • Albumin, clotting factors
    • Note: think about how liver failure may present clinically if these synthetic functions are lost
  • Bile production
    • Functions of bile – fat emulsification and hence absorption in gut; elimination of bilirubin and other waste products

 Note: The biliary tract does NOT produce bile. Hepatocytes do. Biliary tract drains bile into the gut.