In a resting adult, it receives about one third of the blood supply. One of the functions of liver is storage excess nutrients; glycogen, vitamins A, D and B12, and iron are also stored in large quantities.
Blood is supplied to the liver by two vessels: the hepatic artery, which carries 30% of the liver’s total blood supply, brings oxygenated blood from aorta; the hepatic portal vein supplies 70% of the liver’s blood and is rich in soluble digested food from intestines.
The body strives to maintain blood sugar at a constant level. In case of high blood sugar level as usually after the ingestion of carbohydrate rich diet, the liver take up the excess sugar and remove glucose from the blood where hormone insulin activates enzymes to convert the glucose into the storage molecule glycogen (glycogenesis).
On the other hand, in case of carbohydrate-poor diet or fasting the blood sugar level tends to fall.
Glucagon from the pancreas promotes the processes in the liver which
*break down glycogen to glucose
*convert amino acids to glucose.
A normal liver stores around 75 g of glycogen, sufficient to maintain the body’s supply of glucose for about 12 hours.
Should the glycogen supply in the liver become exhausted, glucose may be formed by other means. Liver can convert amino acids and glycerol into glucose.
Liver’ role in blood sugar regulation
