The liver is a very important organ, located on top of the stomach and under the diaphragm. The liver is the heaviest organ in the human body, weighing about three pounds or nearly 1.5kg. This big organ has two lobes and a lot of work to do! Let's talk about some of the liver's important jobs.
Almost all the blood in your body passes through the liver at some point. One of the liver's jobs is to break down harmful substances in the blood so they are safe for our bodies. While breaking down amino acids in food, a toxic substance called ammonia is produced. The liver converts ammonia into urea, which can safely leave the body through pee.
The liver also has a big job storing useful substances. It takes iron, sugar and vitamins out of the blood and holds onto them. Then, when our bodies need these substances, the liver releases them.
If this wasn't impressive enough, the liver also makes proteins that help clot blood. This means that when you get a cut, the blood can harden to form a scab and start to heal.
Not only that, but the liver also produces bile. Bile is stored in the gallbladder, ready to be shipped to the small intestine to help digest fats.
Whew, livers certainly do a lot of heavy lifting! Check out some of these books to learn more about the human body.