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The liver is an organ in vertebrates, including humans. It plays a major role in metabolism and has a number of functions in the body including glycogen storage, plasma protein synthesis, and drug detoxification. It also produces bile, which is important in digestion. It has been described as the chemical plant of the body, as it performs and regulates a wide variety of high-volume biochemical reactions requiring specialized tissues. Medical terms related to the liver often start in hepato- or hepatic from the Greek word for liver, hepar.

Anatomy


The adult human liver normally weighs between 1.3 - 3.0 kilograms, and is a soft, pinkish-brown "boomerang shaped" organ. It is the second largest organ (the largest organ being the skin) and the largest gland within the human body. Its anatomical position in the body is immediately under the diaphragm on the right side of the upper abdomen. The liver lies on the right of the stomach and makes a kind of bed for the gallbladder (which stores bile).

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Liver Disease :: Detriments
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National Institutes of Health (NIH) News Releases

Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder Share Genetic Roots
Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:45:00 -0400
A trio of genome-wide studies -- collectively the largest to date -- have pinpointed a vast array of genetic variation that cumulatively may account for at least one third of the genetic risk for schizophrenia. One of the studies traced schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, in part, to the same chromosomal neighborhoods.
Imaging Technique Allows Researchers to Monitor Protein Changes in Mouse Tumors
Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:05:00 -0400
A new imaging technique can monitor, in living mice, the HER2 protein found in above-normal amounts in many cases of breast cancer as well as some ovarian, prostate and lung cancers. This new approach, once validated in mice and pending further experiments, could provide a real-time noninvasive method for identifying tumors in humans who express HER2 and who would be candidates for targeted therapy directed against this protein. It may also provide real-time information that will help clinicians optimize treatment for individual patients. The study, published in the July 2009 issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine, was conducted by researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, both parts of the National Institutes of Health.
Dynasty: Influenza Virus in 1918 and Today
Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:10:00 -0400
The influenza virus that wreaked worldwide havoc in 1918-1919 founded a viral dynasty that persists to this day, according to scientists from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health. In an article published online on June 29 by the New England Journal of Medicine, authors Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., Jeffery K. Taubenberger, M.D., Ph.D., and David M. Morens, M.D., argue that we have lived in an influenza pandemic era since 1918, and they describe how the novel 2009 H1N1 virus now circling the globe is yet another manifestation of this enduring viral family.

CNN.com - Health

Police: Hospital worker swiped shots, spread hep C
Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:18:42 -0400
A former hospital employee may have exposed hundreds or thousands of surgical patients to hepatitis C when she replaced clean needles filled with the powerful painkiller fentanyl with her own dirty needles filled with saline solution.
Health.com picks top beach, lake getaways
Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:47:40 -0400
We know your summer vacation time is precious: You want to land where you can truly relax, breathe fresh air, get in some exercise and eat well -- without breaking the bank. That's why we teamed up with a panel of travel and health experts to help us find the healthiest of the nation's most popular beach and lake towns.

 
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404 50 Ways to Love Your Liver - Humorous list of tips for maintaining a healthy liver, told from the liver's point of view.

Alcoholic Liver Disease - Textbook chapter explains fatty liver, hepatitis, and cirrhosis related to excessive alcohol usage. Includes symptoms and management.

American Liver Foundation: Liver Function Tests Factsheet - Explanation of common lab tests used to determine liver health and diagnose specific liver diseases.

Ascites - Section of textbook discusses how it occurs, physical changes that aid in diagnosis, early and late complications, and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis.

Baylor College of Medicine: Liver Disease - Article provides basic facts, symptoms, causes and risk factors, diagnosis, and treatment approach.
Meta Description: [ Provides information on educational programs for undergraduates, medical students, residents, and health professionals. Also provides patient information on diseases and procedures. ]

404 British Liver Trust: About Your Liver - Includes the location of the liver and related organs, some of the many functions, and what can go wrong.

Cholestasis - Textbook section describes causes and symptoms of intra- and extrahepatic cholestasis. Includes diagnosis and management of Primary Biliary Cirrhosis.

Congenital Hyperbilirubinemia - Section of textbook chapter gives brief overview of four conjugated and unconjugated syndromes.

Diseases of the Liver - Offers links to information on liver diseases, articles, books and other liver-related resources.

Drug-Induced Liver Disease - Section of textbook chapter details types of acute, cholestatic, chronic, and miscellaneous hepatic drug reactions.

eMedicine Health: Liver Biopsy - Explains what it is, the different methods, purposes, and possible side effects. Includes preparation, follow-up, and links to additional information.
Meta Description: [ A liver biopsy is a procedure whereby small pieces of liver tissue are removed in order to be sent to a laboratory for examination. It is very helpful in the ... ]

Glossary of Terms for Hepatobiliary Diseases - Terms related to disease of the liver and bile ducts, including anatomy, medicines, disorders, and tests.
Meta Description: [ This site describes the services offered at the Liver Study Unit at the University of Chicago Hospitals. ]

Hepatorenal Syndrome - Textbook explanation of advancing kidney failure as caused by liver disease. Includes diagnosis and treatment information.

Inherited Liver Disease - Medical textbook information about three genetic disorders that damage the liver. Includes symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment.

Liver Biopsy - A discussion about this procedure, its preparation and recovery.
Meta Description: [ Diagnostic Tests Folder: Liver Biopsy Contains patient education fact sheets on seven diagnostic tests for gastrointestinal disorders ]

Liver Disease - Article from TalkMedical includes causes and symptoms of common liver diseases, long-term effects, treatments, and side effects.
Meta Description: [ Reliable medical information on Liver Disease ]

404 Liver Diseases - Collection of brief descriptions outlining liver diseases, from Gastroenterology Consultants, PC.

Liverdisease.com - Expansion of knowledge to the public on topics devoted to hepatitis and other liver diseases.

Medicinenet.com: Liver Overview - Information about the liver, including diseases and conditions, medications, doctor's views and responses, and health facts.
Meta Description: [ Learn about cirrhosis of the liver; including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and medical research. ]

Merck Manual: Ascites - Describes this condition, most often associated with cirrhosis of the liver, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment.

Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC) - Illustrated guide to this slowly progressing disease of the bile ducts inside and outside the liver. Includes causes, symptoms, and treatment options.
Meta Description: [ Jackson Gastroenterology's Web Site includes office information and paient education material on digestive and liver disorders, and nutrition. Endoscopic procedures that help in diagnosis and treatment are also described. ]

404 What Are the Myths Vs. Facts About Alcohol and the Liver? - Explains causes and types of liver disease, how much is too much alcohol, prevention, risks by gender, cirrhosis, and transplant.

What is Primary Biliary Cirrhosis (PBC)? - Describes this chronic disease, its causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and research. Includes information on transplantation and prognosis.

y Biliary Cirrhosis - Overview of this disease and its causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment. Includes explanation of liver and bile duct functions.
Meta Description: [ Jackson Gastroenterology's Web Site includes office information and paient education material on digestive and liver disorders, and nutrition. Endoscopic procedures that help in diagnosis and treatment are also described. ]

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NEEM - A Tree For Solving Global Problems
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