The liver, located in the upper right side of the abdomen, is an organ of overwhelming importance to the human body. According to the University of Virginia Health System, the liver performs "more than 500 vital functions." The liver is also unique in being able to regenerate itself, and it can function even when almost three-quarters of its cells have been destroyed. Most people know that the liver neutralizes harmful substances that are then passed in urine or blood, but its full role is appreciated by few people outside the medical profession.
Functions Related to Potential Disease
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, the liver helps to resist infections "by producing immune factors and removing bacteria from the bloodstream." Poisonous ammonia is converted to urea, which is then eliminated from the body in the urine. Drugs, alcohol and other toxic substances are metabolized or secreted, and therefore detoxified, by the liver. Bilirubin, a yellowish-brown component of bile that is produced during the breaking down of old red blood cells, is also neutralized by the liver.
Functions Related to Body Chemistry
The liver regulates specific proteins in the blood plasma as well as the "blood levels of amino acids, which form the building blocks of proteins," according to the University of Virginia Health System. Iron, so important for maintaining muscle protein in the body and for avoiding anemia, is extracted from hemoglobin and stored by the liver. Substances essential for proper clotting of blood are manufactured by the liver, as are synthetic proteins such as albumin, the major protein in blood plasma that buffers pH and performs many other vital functions.
Functions Related to Intake of Food
The liver is critical to metabolizing, processing and storing fats and cholesterol. Carbohydrates, the dietary source of sugar (glucose) essential for red blood cells and the brain, cannot be processed without the liver. One of the central functions of the organ is to secrete bile to help the intestines to absorb vitamins A, D, E, and K. The liver converts "excess glucose into glycogen for storage ... [and] later [conversion] back to glucose for energy," according to the University of Virginia Health System.
