Liver Let Die Trivia Quiz

Answer: True

Because the liver can regenerate its cells, people often overwork their livers without realizing it. Diets that are too rich in fat, or too high in terms of the consumption of alcohol and/or drugs, can impair liver function and, in the extreme, can lead to liver failure.

Answer: bile

Hydrochloric acid, pepsin and mucin are components of the gastric juice, which is secreted by the stomach to regulate digestion. Bile is produced and secreted by the liver, and it is administered through the gall bladder to aid in the digestion of fats.

Answer: IRON

The liver's storage of ferritin is the body's main source of reserve iron. These stores actually represent about 40% of the body's iron. In adults, iron reserves are typically lower in women than in men, due to the amount of iron used up in menstruation, pregnancy and lactation.

Answer: acetaldehyde and free radicals

Acetaldehyde and free radicals are produced when the liver processes alcohol as a toxin, and it is then eliminated through urine. The problem is that these dangerous by-products cause damage to liver cells and can result in scarring of the liver in the form of fibrous tissues and even cirrhosis.

Many people take anti-oxidants and try to remain hydrated when consuming alcohol to lessen its negative effects on the liver.

Answer: True

The liver stores and produces sugar in the form of glucose and then releases it as it is needed by the body. If you eat too often or too much, and if you are not sufficiently active, then your liver never releases sugar and can become sluggish and fatty.

Answer: blood production

As a fetus grows, the liver develops along with the rest of the organs. For this reason, it does not perform the normal filtration functions or digestive processes that the liver of a child or adult performs, because the fetus does not consume meals directly. The fetus or embryo gets nourishment directly from the mother via the placenta.

One function that the fetal liver DOES perform is to release blood stem cells, so initially, fetal blood cells are created from fetal liver stem cells. Once the baby is born, the formation of blood stem cells shifts to the red bone marrow.

Answer: COAGULATION

The liver synthesizes all plasma proteins, including the 12 clotting factors needed for coagulation. This is another problem that can arise when liver function is impaired, because clotting can be slowed or may not happen at all.

Answer: aliproproteins

Aliproproteins are actually secreted by the intestines, but all of the other proteins listed are produced by the liver. Among the hormones produced is growth hormone 1 (which is crucial to childhood growth and has anabolic effects in adults) and thrombopoetin (which regulates the production of platelets by the bone marrow). Among the prohormones produced by the liver is angiotensinogen, which causes vascular dilation and raises blood pressure. Among the carrier proteins produced in the liver are albumin and other binding proteins which carry different elements, like vitamin D, through the body.

Answer: Cancer of the liver

All of the diseases mentioned can severely impair or destroy the liver. Some are contributed to by genetic factors. Cancer, however, is not a bacterial or viral disease, and is therefore not an infectious disease of the liver. Cancer of the liver is very serious, however, and is one of the leading causes of death in terms of liver disease.

The other afflictions listed are all serious infections that can shorten life.

Answer: A living donor can be a smoker or overweight as long as the donor agrees to the procedure and acknowleges the risks.

Living donors must be between 18 and 55 years old cannot be smokers (for at least six weeks prior to surgery). Overweight donors are also rejected unless they lose weight and prove they are in good condition prior to the surgery. Though transplants are not very complicated operations, they do pose risks to both recipients and donors.

This is why donors should be in good physical condition to participate.