Digestive Organs
Liver
“This is the liver-vein, which makes flesh a deity.”
– Shakespeare: Love's Labour's Lost, iv. 3.
The liver was once thought of as one of the most important organs in the body, along with the heart and brain. It was thought to control a person’s emotions, and to be called ‘pigeon-livered’ was to imply you were a meek and spineless person. A large liver endowed a person with courage and daring. The liver is a very complex and dynamic organ, and is the second largest organ in the body. It controls cholesterol levels, and manages clotting factors in the blood. The liver controls numerous enzymes and proteins, and produces bile to aid in digestion. It manages the chemistry of our blood, and because of this, it cleanses the blood of toxins. Unlike most organs, it can regenerate lost tissue, and this fact has had an enormous impact on the field of liver transplantation.
Liver damage can be caused by many factors. Alcohol and some drugs are toxic to the liver, but damage can also occur because of infections, and even exposure to some types of shellfish. When the liver is damaged, the body is unable to perform these vital functions. People with liver disorders experience fatigue and nausea. Perhaps the most often-heard statement in drug advertisements is, “Do not take this if you have liver problems.” All drugs are filtered through the liver, and this can have adverse effects on the treatment of patients with liver damage.