How many functions does the liver

Rene Wisely. November 06, AM. The liver deserves some glory. The key ones are metabolic. How can I keep my liver healthy? This star player of the body deserves VIP status. Liver Disease. Digestive GI Conditions. Health Management. The liver regulates most chemical levels in the blood and excretes a product called bile.

This helps carry away waste products from the liver. All the blood leaving the stomach and intestines passes through the liver. The liver processes this blood and breaks down, balances, and creates the nutrients and also metabolizes drugs into forms that are easier to use for the rest of the body or that are nontoxic.

More than vital functions have been identified with the liver. Some of the more well-known functions include the following:. Production of bile, which helps carry away waste and break down fats in the small intestine during digestion. Conversion of excess glucose into glycogen for storage glycogen can later be converted back to glucose for energy and to balance and make glucose as needed.

The primary function of the gallbladder is to store and concentrate bile. Bile is comprised of bile salts, bilirubin, phospholipids, cholesterol, bicarbonate and water. Bile salts mix with ingested fats to promote absorption of fats from the gastrointestinal tract. Bilirubin, cholesterol, and phospholipids are end products of metabolism. Bicarbonate and water are needed in the gastrointestinal tract to help neutralize stomach acid, as digestion and absorption require an alkaline environment.

After it's formation in the liver, bile flows into the hepatic duct. The hepatic duct joins with the cystic duct of the gallbladder to form the common bile duct, which then enters the duodenum at the ampulla of Vater. The sphincter of Oddi surrounds the ampulla of Vater.