1. What is the liver?

The liver is a large (1.5 kg), richly vascularized organ located below the stomach on the right side of the abdominal cavity. It is made up of two clearly individualized lobes: the right and left lobes.

Each hepatic lobe is subdivided into four hepatic segments delimited by fibrous partitions which progressively divide the liver into smaller segments in which differentiated cells ensure its functioning:

• hepatocytes (65% of cells) are the main cells;

• Kupfer cells (10% of cells) play a role in defending the body (macrophages); they phagocytose and destroy biological agents that have crossed the intestinal barrier;

• stellate cells (5% of cells) have a pathophysiological function; they store fats and vitamin A in particular.

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