Liver - My daily learning on Human Body on 2009-09-06

The liver is the largest single organ in the human body. In an adult, it weighs about three pounds and is roughly the size of a football. Located in the upper right-hand part of the abdomen, behind the lower ribs, the liver has more than 200 functions, including:

1. converting food into the chemicals the body needs to grow and remain healthy
2. eliminating ingested, and internally produced, toxic substances from the blood
3. producing bile, a liquid that is essential for digestion
4. storing certain vitamins, minerals, and sugars and producing quick energy when it is needed
5. controlling the production and excretion of cholesterol
6. monitoring and maintains the proper levels of chemicals and drugs in the blood
7. producing immune factors than help the body fight off infection

There are many types of liver disease, and because of the liver's many functions, many can be life-threatening unless treated.

Symptoms of liver disease include:

(a) jaundice (yellowing of the skin and/or eyes)
(b) dark urine
(c) gray, yellow, or light-colored stools
(d) nausea, vomiting, and/or loss of appetite
(e) vomiting of blood, or bloody or black stools
(f) abdominal swelling, tenderness, or pain
(g) prolonged generalized itching
(h) unusual weight change (an increase or decrease of 5 percent or more within two months)
(i) sleep disturbances, mental confusion, or coma
(j) fatigue
(k) loss of sexual drive or performance

To prevent liver disease:

(1) Avoid drinking more than two alcoholic drinks per day.
(2) Avoid drinking alcohol while taking over-the-counter or prescription drugs.
(3) Avoid exposure to industrial chemicals whenever possible, and don't take medications unless they are really necessary.
(4) Finally, maintain a good, well-balanced diet.

Info Source: http://www.sleh.com/sleh/Section004/index.cfm?pagename=Liver%20Facts&PageMD=LIVER%20FACTS of Luke's Episcopal Health System http://www.sleh.com/sleh/

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Human liver accounts for 27% of Energy consumed our human organs.

Source of information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basal_metabolic_rate

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