The liver is the largest internal organ in the human body, and its duties match its size. Your liver influences metabolism, digestion, blood composition and many other processes, affecting nearly every body system in some way. Keeping your liver healthy is essential for maintaining each of these processes, while a damaged liver can lead to systematic degradation.
Synthesis
Your liver is responsible for the synthesis, or production, of several key substances in your body. It is the main production factory for amino acids and proteins that allow the rest of the body to function, including hormones and other regulatory elements in the body. The liver also produces a glycoprotein called thrombopoietin, a hormone that stimulates the production of platelets in your bone marrow, as well as the coagulation factors that allow blood to clot.
Breakdown
The liver can make proteins, but it also breaks them down to base substances used to produce other proteins. It is responsible for processing hemoglobin, the molecule that allows your blood to carry oxygen. Hemoglobin is released from old red blood cells when they break down, cleaned from the blood by the liver and then metabolized or used to create other substances that the body needs. And, of course, your liver cleans out alcohol and other toxins from your blood, breaking them down into less harmful substances and flushing them into your urinary or digestive system for release from the body.
Metabolism
The liver's unique synthesis and breakdown capabilities allow it to play a key role in your body's metabolism. Your liver can synthesize cholesterol, produce and store glucose for extra energy and keep a supply of vitamins to sustain the body in periods of poor diet. It also creates glycogen, a substance made from carbohydrates that provides energy reserves to muscles. The bile that colors human stool is produced in the liver, and plays a role in fat digestion in the intestines while providing a release for waste products filtered from the blood.
References
- "Living with Hepatitis C"; Gregory T. Everson; 2009
- Tufts University: Understanding Liver Function Tests
- Human Biology: Hemoglobin Breakdown
- Priory.com: Thrombopoietin
