Function

• The liver's functions include removing bacteria, making the proteins albumin and fibrinogin, processing hemoglobin, regulating chemical levels in the blood, removing waste and aiding in digestion. The liver's categorization as a gland comes from several activities, most notably the production and secretion of bile. Bile aids in food digestion by breaking down lipids, binding to waste products and removing them from the body.
  
  

Size

• The average liver weighs just over three pounds and is slightly larger in men than women. The liver is about 20 to 22.5 cm across and 15 to 17.5 cm vertically. Of the liver's four main lobes, the right lobe is the largest, as much as six times larger than the left.
  
  

Identification

• Nestled beneath the diaphragm in the upper right region of the abdominal cavity, the liver is near the organs it works closely with: the stomach and gallbladder. The liver is reddish brown and has a large, irregular shape. The liver's four main lobes are further sub-divided into multiple lobules.
  
  

Features

• The human body cannot survive without a functional liver. The liver processes nearly all of the blood leaving the stomach and small intestine, up to a pint of blood at a time. Blood coming into the liver is full of the nutrients obtained in the initial digestion process. The liver processes these nutrients and uses them for its functions.
  
  

Considerations

• The liver can be gravely damaged by a variety of toxic substances, including viruses, drugs, chemicals, genetic diseases and alcohol. Liver disease is widespread in the United States and is estimated to impact one in every 10 Americans. A damaged liver has some ability to regenerate, but a non-functional liver must be replaced with a donor organ. Approximately 6,000 liver transplant operations are performed in the United States annually.