Q.What are the functions of liver?
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Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →The liver secretes bile, regulates blood glucose (glycogen storage), carries out protein and fat metabolism, forms urea, stores iron/vitamins, detoxifies harmful substances, makes plasma/clotting proteins and destroys old RBCs.
The liver is the largest gland in the human body and performs many vital functions:
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Secretion of bile: The liver secretes bile, which is stored in the gall bladder. Bile salts emulsify fats (break large fat globules into small droplets), aiding their digestion by lipase and their absorption.
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Carbohydrate metabolism: The liver helps maintain a constant blood-glucose level. Excess glucose is converted to glycogen and stored (glycogenesis); when glucose is needed, glycogen is broken down (glycogenolysis). It can also form glucose from non-carbohydrates (gluconeogenesis).
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Protein metabolism: The liver carries out deamination of excess amino acids and converts the ammonia produced into urea (through the ornithine cycle) for excretion.
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Fat metabolism: It is involved in the synthesis and breakdown of fats and cholesterol.
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Storage: The liver stores glycogen, iron, copper and vitamins A, D and B12.
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Detoxification: It detoxifies harmful substances, toxins, drugs and poisons, making them harmless.
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