The Liver

The liver is a vital organ present in human beings and other vertebrates. It is the largest gland in the human body and a part of the digestive system.

The liver is a reddish brown organ consisting of four lobes of unequal size and shape. The lobes are further subdivided into lobules. Each lobule is made up of millions of hepatic cells which are the basic metabolic cells. A human liver normally weighs about 1.5 kg and is a soft triangular organ. It is located in the right upper part of the abdominal cavity, just below the diaphragm and is protected by the ribs. It is connected with two large blood vessels - the hepatic artery and the portal vein. The hepatic artery carries blood from the aorta and the portal vein carries blood containing digested nutrients from the gastrointestinal tract. These blood vessels are subdivided into capillaries, which then lead to a lobule.

The liver has a wide range of functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion, vitamin storage, etc.

The liver plays an active role in the process of digestion through the production of bile. Bile is a mixture of water, bile salts, cholesterol, and the pigment bilirubin. Bilirubin is an orange-yellow pigment in the bile formed as a breakdown product of haemoglobin. Excess amounts of bilirubin in the blood produce the yellow appearance associated with jaundice. Hepatocytes in the liver produce bile, which then passes through the bile ducts to be stored in the gallbladder. The main function of bile is to emulsify fats, that helps the body to digest them much easier.

But the liver's main function is filtering the blood which comes from the digestive tract, before passing it to the rest of the body. It detoxifies the blood to rid it of harmful substances such as alcohol and drugs.

Vitamin storage is one more function of the liver. The liver stores fat-soluble vitamins such A, B₁₂, D, E and K as well as minerals such as iron and copper.

The liver supports almost every organ in the body and is necessary for survival. Because the liver performs so many vital functions, it is prone to disease. Fortunately, the liver has an incredible capacity for regeneration of dead or damaged tissues; it is capable of growing very quickly to restore its normal size and function. In most cases, the liver produces symptoms only after extensive damage.

Common liver diseases include hepatitis A, B, C; cirrhosis, caused by long-term damage to the liver from any cause that leads to permanent scarring; fatty liver disease; cancer as well as damage from alcohol.

There is currently no way to compensate the absence of the liver function. Nowadays dialysis (machine performs the detoxification function of the liver) is used but it cannot support a person longer than a few years.

Exercise 6. Answer the questions to the text:

1. Where is the liver located?

2. What does the liver consist of?

3. What blood vessels is the liver connected with?

4. What functions does the liver have?

5. What is bile?

6. Why is the liver prone to infections?

7. What incredible capacity does the liver have?

8. What diseases of the liver do you know?

Exercise 7. Find corresponding equivalents:

Exercise 8. Find in the text words denoting gastrointestinal tract and cardiovascular system and fill in the table:

Exercise 9. Match the terms with their definitions:

Exercise 10. Translate the words given in italics into English. Translate the whole sentences into your native language:

1. Jaundice was caused by the excessive amount of bilirubin that is продукт розпаду гемоглобіну.

2. The liver plays an active role in the process of травлення through the production of жовчі.

3. After the severe damage of the liver in the patient, it could регентувати пошкоджені тканини within a year.

4. The рубцювання of the liver tissues blocks the тік крові through the liver and slows the flow of nutrients, hormones etc.

5. As liver виконує життєво важливі функції in the body, it is important for survival.

6. Cirrhosis is the result of довготривале пошкодження печінки, characterized by replacement of the liver tissue by scar tissue.

7. As the liver functions are damaged by the infection, it can’t filter blood from шкідливих речовин.

8. There are 2 forms of печінкової недостатності acute and chronic.

Exercise 11. Continue the phrase:

1. … is a small organ where bile is stored.

2. … is an organ where bile is produced.

3. … is a system which perform the digestive processes in the body.

4. The liver … the blood to rid it of harmful substances.

5. The liver consists of ….

6. The liver is prone to disease because ….

7. … is caused by long-term damage to the liver from any cause that leads to permanent scarring.

8. … is a fluid produced by the liver that aids in digestion.

Exercise 12. Find synonyms in the text to the following phrases:

1. hepatic insufficiency –

2. injured tissues –

3. to carry out life functions –

4. injury of long duration –

5. hazardous agents –

6. to be vulnerable to diseases –

7. the decomposition product of haemoglobin –

8. rehabilitation, recovery of the liver cells -

Exercise 13. Put the words from the table into an appropriate gap:

Hepatitis C is an infectious disease affecting … and caused by a virus. The infection is often …, but can lead to scarring of the liver and to cirrhosis. In some cases, patients with cirrhosis may develop … or liver cancer.

The virus is spread by … associated with intravenous drug use, poorly sterilized medical equipment and transfusions. You cannot get hepatitis C from casual contact such as kissing, …, or sharing food or drink. Having no symptoms, … may be present in the body for 15 years or longer before being diagnosed. Persons who have been infected with hepatitis C may clear the virus but remain ….

Exercise 14. Open the brackets and put the verbs in a correct form:

1. Cirrhosis most often (to cause) by chronic liver disease resulted from long-term alcohol abuse or hepatitis C.

2. If hepatitis A (to suspect), the doctor will test antibodies to detect the hepatitis A virus.

3. Since 1992, all donated blood and organs (to test) for hepatitis C.

4. Degeneration of hepatic cells, in the patient observed yesterday, (to cause) by hepatitis A.

5. This patient (to make) already a liver dialysis twice

6. Two patients (to admit) to the hospital an hour ago.

7. Next Monday the patient suffering from severe liver damage (to make) a dialysis.

8. The name of great surgeon Pirogov (to know) not only in our country.

Exercise 15. Put questions to the underlined words:

1. Hepatitis viruses can survive in water and food for days and weeks.

2. These patients were administered liver transplantation.

3. The patient is complaining of nausea and sometimes vomiting.

4. The scientists have established a total weight of blood in the human being.

5. All movements of the body are regulated by the cerebral cortex.

6. Scar tissue has already replaced healthy liver tissue.

7. The urine in this patient contained a small amount of protein and erythrocytes.

8. The patient has a slightly elevated body temperature.

Exercise 16. Translate the following sentences into English:

1. Печінка — другий найбільший орган в організм людини після шкіри.

2. Печінка займає центральне місце в обміні речовин завдяки анатомічному розміщенню.

3. Печінка здатна знешкоджувати за допомогою фільтрації крові різні отрути.

4. Ознакою хворої печінки може бути низький артеріальний тиск, спричинений слабкістю венозної системи.

5. Вірусні інфекції, ожиріння, цукровий діабет, отруєння і надмірне вживання алкоголю можуть викликати проблеми в роботі печінки.

6. Гепати́т А (хвороба Боткіна, інфекційний гепатит) спричиняється вірусом, що потрапляє до організму з їжею або водою.

7. Печінка має здатність регентувати порушені або змертвілі клітини, та відновлювати своє функціонування.

8. Печінка також виробляє білки, які потрібні для згортання крові та іншім функціям.

Exercise 17. Put the sentences into the correct order to explain the term “liver”:

___The liver has a wide range of functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion, vitamin storage, etc.

___The liver is the largest gland in the human body and a part of the digestive system.

___It has an incredible capacity for regeneration of dead or damaged tissues; it is capable of growing very quickly to restore its normal size and function.

___It is located in the right upper part of the abdominal cavity, just below the diaphragm and is protected by the ribs.

___The liver is a reddish brown organ consisting of four lobes of unequal size and shape.

Завдання для самостійної роботи студентів (СРС)

Exercise 1. Topic vocabulary:

Exercise 2. Guess the meaning of the following words without using a distionary:

Endocrine, gland, hypophysis, secretion, hormone, substance, metabolism, activity, emotion, base, functioning, to stimulate, peristalsis, adrenalin, trachea, control, pancreas,

Exercise 3. а) Read the word combinations and translate them:

Gland: enlarged gland; swollen gland; salivary gland; pituitary gland; glands secrete hormones.

Amount: considerable amount; exact amount; to reduce the amount; limited amount; excessive amount; total amount.

Affect: to affect greatly; to affect indirectly; to affect slightly; to affect significantly.

Circulation: poor circulation; systemic circulation; pulmonary circulation; to improve circulation; to stimulate circulation.

b) Make up short sentences using the above given word combinations:

Exercise 4. Give Ukrainian equivalents to the following word combinations:

Ductless glands; internal secretions; reproductive glands; on either side; to produce masculinity; excitement and strong emotions; fear or anger; the glands of “flight and fight”; the pituitary fossa; sexual development; involuntary muscle;

Exercise 5. Read and translate the text: