14 Interesting Facts About the Liver
By PositiveMed-Team
Edited By Stephanie Dawson
The liver is one of the most important organs in our body. It’s responsible for breaking down the food we eat so that it’s digested and releases energy for performing daily tasks. A healthy liver is important for overall body health. This bodily organ is so important that if it stops functioning we won’t survive even one day. Here is a list of some interesting facts about this essential organ.
1. It stocks iron
Our liver acts as a warehouse that takes out important vitamins and nutrients from the food we eat and stocks them up. It keeps supplying these nutrients to the body when we need them. It also stores iron and maintains a constant supply of it to the body.
2. Largest glandular organ
Our liver is the largest glandular organ of the human body, its weight is around 1.36 kilograms and is reddish-brown in color. It’s the second largest organ besides skin.
3. Multifunctional
Our liver is like a super computer with a very fast processor. It performs over 200 important functions for the body simultaneously. Some of these important functions include supplying glucose to the brain, combating infections, and storing nutrients.
4. It contains fat
10% of our liver is made up of fat. If the fat content in the liver goes above 10% its called fatty liver and makes you more likely to get type 2 diabetes. Fatty liver fails at storing glycogen made by glucose from food.
5. Detoxifier
Our liver is the biggest detoxifying agent in our body. It detoxifies the harmful things we take in like alcohol and drugs. Without the liver the body cannot process these items.
6. All pervasive
Studies show that every vertebrate (living beings with spinal cord or backbone) on this planet has a liver. It’s necessary in these organisms for survival.
7. Inventor of blood
The liver creates the blood that circulates in our bodies. The importance of the liver lies in the fact that blood cannot be created artificially by humans. The liver starts producing blood before we are born. Without the liver there would be no blood and no life.
8. It regenerates
Our liver has the amazing ability to regenerate itself which makes surgeries like liver transplant possible. When people donate half their liver to someone who needs it, the remaining part of the liver regenerates the donated part.
9. Hormone processor
Our liver is the primary site of hormone breakdown. It breaks down hormones like estrogen and testosterone then converts them into bile which then enters our intestines. Bile is necessary for digestion and emulsifying fats.
10. Protein creator
Our body needs protein to grow and work properly. The food we eat is not sufficient for fulfilling the protein needs of our body therefore the liver produces its own protein.
11. Clotting agent
The enzymes and chemicals required to form blood clots to stop bleeding are secreted by the liver. People with an unhealthy liver bleed easily.
12. Color of stool
Our liver produces bile which is responsible for giving our stool its characteristic brown color. If the color of the stool is not brown it means something is wrong with the liver.
13. Stock of liveliness
Our liver works like a battery. It stores sugar and whenever our body needs it, the liver provides it. Without this stocking of sugar our blood sugar levels fall drastically and we can become very ill, even comatose..
14. Medicine converter
Our body cannot use medicines we take, our liver converts medicine into a form accepted by our bodies. Without the liver medicine would be useless.
