[19] A REVIEW ON HEPATIC TISSUES, CELLS: ANATOMY, PHYSIOLOGY OF LIVER AND TREATMENT OF HEPATIC DISEASE

ARTICLE INFO: Date of Submission: May 22, 2025, Revised: June 19, 2025, Accepted: June 26, 2025, https://doi.org/10.56815/ijmrr.v4i2.2025.247-267

Abstract

The development of the human liver starts during the third to fourth week of embryonic life. As the largest internal organ, the liver is structurally separated into 2 main (left and right) lobes, along with two smaller lobes (caudate and quadrate). Liver diseases are among the leading causes of death globally, affecting millions of people, including over Thirty (30) million in the United States alone. This vital organ acting a central role in numerous physiological functions such as metabolism, detoxification, immune defense, digestion, and vitamin storage. The liver maintains internal homeostasis by processing nutrients, synthesizing important proteins, and neutralizing toxins. Liver damage, whether caused by viral infections like hepatitis, genetic metabolic disorders, or chronic alcohol abuse, can severely disrupt these critical processes. Key functions include bile production, metabolism of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins, and the detoxification of xenobiotics. Hepatocytes constitute about 60–70% of the liver’s cellular composition and are primarily responsible for the synthesis of plasma proteins, including albumin, acute-phase proteins and clotting factors. The remaining cells—stellate cells, Kupffer cell, and endothelial cells—play supportive and immune-regulatory roles.This article outlines the external and anatomical structure of the liver, discusses its functional physiology, and evaluates the hepatoprotective potential of herbal formulations in clinical settings. Notably, herbal preparations such as silymarin, glycyrrhizin, and Liv-52 have shown promising results in the managing the liver cirrhosis, hepatitis, and alcoholic liver disease.