What does the liver acinus do? How does it allow the liver to function?
1 Answer
A liver acinus is the functional unit of the liver, comprising all liver parenchyma supplied by a terminal branch of the portal vein and hepatic artery.
Explanation:
It typically involves segments of two lobules lying between two terminal heptic venules.
It is of relevance to the hepatic function because it is oriented around the afferent vascular system.The acinus consist of irregular shaped, roughly ellipsoidal mass of hepatocytes aligned around the hepatic arterioles and portal venules.
It is roughly divided into zones that correspond to distance from the arterial blood supply. Hepatocytes closest to the arterioles are best oxygenated, while those farteset from the arterioles have the poorest supply of oxygen. However, this arrangement also means that cells in the centre of the acinus are the first to see and potentially absorb blood borne toxins into the portal blood from the small intestine.
