The hepatic lobule is the basic microscopic unit of the liver: a six-sided column of liver cells arranged in plates around a central vein, with portal triads at its corners. Blood flows from the portal triads through sinusoids towards the central vein, while bile flows the opposite way.
| Location | Throughout the liver; about 1-2 mm across |
|---|---|
| Parts |
|
| Nerve Supply | Hepatic plexus |
| Blood Supply | Branches of the hepatic artery proper |
| Venous drainage |
|
| Lymphatic drainage |
|
Processes nutrients, toxins and drugs, makes bile and plasma proteins, and stores glycogen.
Zones of the lobule differ: cells near the central vein are most vulnerable to low oxygen and paracetamol overdose, while those near the portal triads are first hit in some viral and toxic injuries. Cirrhosis destroys lobule structure and replaces it with scar and regenerating nodules.
Overdose causing death of liver cells around the central veins.
Scarring that replaces normal lobules with nodules and disrupts blood flow.
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