a-short-review-of-histology

The Liver - Hepatocytes:

Hepatocytes are multi functional polyhedral cells which produce a wide range of products including bile, and many plasma proteins which are delivered directly into the blood
They have a broad range of cytoplasmic organelles reflecting their muItifunctional activity
The hepatocytes of the liver are organised into cords which run between portal tracts and tributaries of the hepatic veins
The cords are composed of pairs of hepatocytes which are connected by cell junctions
The cell junctions bind the hepatocytes together but also form the boundaries of small channels called bile canaliculi
These channels drain the bile which is produced by the hepatocytes and deliver it into small bile ducts which are located within the portal tracts
All hepatocytes have one boundary which abuts onto a blood sinusoid
The blood sinusoids are lined by endothelial cells and by macrophages (known as Kupffer cells)
These macrophages help to cleanse the blood
The sinusoids are highly fenestrated providing free access by the blood plasma to the hepatocytes lying deep to the sinusoidal wall
The hepatocytes and sinusoids are supported by a delicate connective tissue matrix
Normally, this does not impede the function of the liver
In cirrhosis of the liver, (damage which may be caused by alcohol or drug abuse or by viral hepatitis) the normal organisation of the hepatocytes is disrupted and replaced by connective tissue which can impede normal liver function and may be fatal