Generality
The position of the liver is: upper, right and central portion of the abdomen, below the right side of the rib cage between the VI and the XI ribs, just below the line drawn by the diaphragm and slightly higher than the stomach, right kidney-adrenal complex and transverse colon.
The position of the liver is functional to the role that this organ has during the process of digestion and on the occasion of the cleaning of the blood passed through the digestive tract and the spleen.
Brief review of the Regions of the Abdomen
Imagining to design a 3x3 square grid (like that of the tris, the popular game), the abdomen of the human being can be divided into 9 regions . Proceeding (from the observer's point of view) from left to right and from top to bottom, these 9 subdivision regions of the abdomen are:
- The right hypochondrium, the epigastrium and the left hypochondrium, for the first of the 3 rows of the grid;
- The right lumbar region, the umbilical region and the left lumbar region, for the second of the 3 rows of the grid;
- Finally, the right iliac fossa, the hypogastrium and the left iliac fossa, for the third of the 3 rows of the grid.
Important to avoid confusion
The right hypochondrium, the right lumbar region and the right iliac fossa are to the left of the observer of an abdomen, therefore they reside to the right of the latter.
Conversely, the left hypochondrium, the left lumbar region and the left iliac fossa are to the right of the observer of an abdomen, therefore they are located to the left of the latter.
What is the Liver Position?
The position of the liver, that is the site in which the liver resides in the human body, is in the upper right and central part of the abdomen, below the right thoracic cage between the VI and the XI ribs, just over low of the diaphragm and slightly above the so-called antrum of the stomach, of the right kidney, of the right adrenal gland and of the transverse colon .
Considering the abdominal regions, the position of the liver is such that they are involved:
- The right hypochondrium, almost entirely;
- The epigastrium, for about half;
- The left hypochondrium, for a very small portion;
- The right lumbar region, also for a very small portion.
The position of the liver, therefore, sees this organ distributed in as many as 4 of the 9 regions of the abdomen : all 3 are those of the upper row and the left one of the central row (remember that it is the left for the observer).
Did you know that ...
The position of the liver causes this organ to be second only to the intestine, as regards the number of occupied abdominal regions.
The Liver: a brief anatomical and functional review
In an article dedicated to the position of the liver, it is necessary to review both the anatomy and the function of this very important organ for the human being.
The liver is an unequal organ, weighing 1000-1500 grams, made up of particular cells, called hepatocytes .
The gland with both an exocrine and an endocrine function, the liver is anatomically divided into four main portions, whose names are: right lobe (most voluminous portion, representing the right side of the liver), left lobe (the second largest portion constituting the left side of the liver), square lobe (related to the left lobe, takes place on the lower surface of the liver) and caudate lobe (also related to the left lobe, is a protrusion of the posterior surface of the liver).
The liver is an organ with very particular cells, which, in the event of injury or removal of part of the organ, are able to regenerate the injured or removed part, bringing everything back to normal.
This regenerative capacity of the liver is very important during the liver transplant, as it allows the transfer from living donor and the passage of only a portion of the organ.
From the functional point of view, the liver covers a series of tasks that are all fundamental for the life of the human being. These tasks include:
- Production of essential proteins and hormones ;
- Regulation of carbohydrate metabolism (in particular it directs the processes of gluconeogenesis, glycogenolysis and glycogenosynthesis );
- The production of bile, a liquid containing water, electrolytes, lipids, proteins and pigments that plays a pivotal role in the digestive process (provides for the digestion of fats);
- The generation of coagulation factors ;
- The regulation of cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood;
- The elimination from the blood of the so-called waste products, which can be: toxins, infectious agents and catabolites (eg: ammonia);
- Infusion of new energy to the body when there is a general energy deficit.
The position of the various lobes of the liver
- The right lobe of the liver is divided between: right hypochondrium, part of the epigastrium and right lumbar region;
- The left lobe of the liver occupies part of the epigastrium and of the left hypogastrium;
- The square and caused lobes reside in the epigastrium.
Borders
The position of the liver means that this organ borders with:
- The diaphragm, at the top;
- A considerable part of the right pleura and a very small portion of the left pleura, antero-laterally;
- The transverse colon, the antrum of the stomach, the right kidney and the right adrenal inferiorly;
- The gallbladder (or gall bladder ), the bottom of the stomach, the esophagus, the inferior vena cava, posteriorly.
Liver Position and Thoracic Cage
The position of the liver is such as to guarantee the protection of the thoracic cage for this vital organ. The liver, in fact, is covered by the right costal arch going from the VI to the XI rib .
The liver is a fragile organ, which, if it lacked the protection of the ribs, would also suffer from small traumas against it.
Physiology
The position of the liver is functional to the role that this organ covers during digestion and during the purification of blood from waste products.
Indeed:
- The liver produces bile and accumulates in the neighboring gall bladder, exploiting the so-called bile ducts, waiting for a meal (in particular lipids) to digest.
If the position of the liver were different from what it actually is, the accumulation in the gall bladder would be much more complex and less rapid (it would take, for example, longer bile ducts).
The liver-gallbladder proximity is essential to guarantee a constantly ready bile;
- The liver receives, through the portal vein, the venous blood coming out of the spleen and from the digestive system, venous blood on which it must carry out a fundamental purification work for the survival of the organism (in this blood, in fact, there are products of waste that can have, in case of failure to eliminate, a fatal effect for the other organs of the human body); after purification, he then sends the blood in question to the hepatic vein, which flows into the vena cava, ie the vein returning to the heart .
In such a context, the position of the liver is decisive, since it ensures a rapid and functional blood circulation to those that are the needs of the entire organism.
If the position of the liver were another, the return to the heart of that blood passed through the spleen and digestive system would be slower and would not guarantee an equally rapid purification action.
Did you know that ...
The alteration of the blood flow inside the liver, due for example to pathologies such as liver cirrhosis or alcoholic hepatitis, increase the blood pressure inside the portal vein, triggering a condition known as portal hypertension .
variants
In some individuals, the position of the liver and all other abdominal and thoracic organs is the mirror image of the canonical one; this condition is called situs inversus totalis or situs viscerum inversus totalis .
In people with situs inversus totalis, the position of the heart is on the right side of the thorax (instead of the left), the position of the spleen is on the right intermediate side of the abdomen (rather than on the left), the position of the ascending colon is on the left side lower abdomen (instead of right), the position of the descending colon is on the lower right side of the abdomen (rather than on the left), the position of the liver is on the upper left side of the abdomen (rather than on the right) etc.
Clinical meaning
Surely many readers will have heard of " liver trouble "; this expression is used to indicate a painful sensation, with variable characteristics, which can be located exactly in the position of the liver.
