Question #5ff6e
1 Answer
Two of many waste products excreted from the blood inside the liver are 1) toxic antibiotics and drugs and 2) a component of the red blood cells called bilirubin.
Explanation:
The liver starts the blood cleansing inside its Kuppfer cells which act as a filter to remove molecules of toxins and drugs, including alcohol. The toxins are then oxidized to make them water soluble and easier to excrete. For some toxins another step may be necessary to neutralize them into substances that are safe to enter the bile stream.
Red blood cells returning from other regions in the body that are damaged, worn out , or dead, also need to be removed from the blood by the liver. The red blood cells still carry components like iron that are useful to the body, so the liver can act like a recycling facility to remove them for future use. The defective part called heme is converted to bilirubin which is subsequently secreted into the bile, into the small intestine, for removal by the kidneys.
Information on filtration in the liver is here:
https://www.boundless.com/physiology/textbooks/boundless-anatomy-and-physiology-textbook/urinary-system-25/urine-transport-storage-and-elimination-242/waste-management-in-other-body-systems-1187-5109/
An illustration and information on bilirubin is here:
http://www.vivo.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/digestion/liver/bilirubin.html
