Hepatocytes and Their Role in Metabolism

*Shweta Dutta, Saraswati Prasad Mishra, Anil Kumar Sahu, Koushlesh Mishra, Pankaj Kashyap and Bhavna Sahu*

## **Abstract**

Liver is one of the vital organ that performs many functions in the human body. Prominently it acts as a metabolizing organ for the body. This chapter elaborately describes hepatocytes along with their morphological features. In addition, it explains the structure of hepatocytes and different parts such as kupffer cells, hepatic stellate and hepatic sinusoids. Moreover present chapter elaborates the varieties of functions that hepatocytes perform such as filtration of blood, acting as a viral incubator, lipophagy and regulation of insulin and glucose. This chapter also explains hepatic injury that is caused by chronic consumption of alcohol along with the mechanism behind it.

**Keywords:** liver, hepatocytes, kupffer cells, viral incubator, lipophagy

### **1. Introduction**

Liver is one the most vital organ of the human body and it is the largest among all other organs found in humans. There is incomplete separation of liver into lobes. These lobes are covered externally by a thin capsule of connective tissue. Liver is made up of different kinds of cells which interact with one another to perform specified functions. Hepatocytes or hepatic parenchymal cells are approximately 60% of the total cells found in the liver. Hepatocytes hold 80% of total volume of the organ. Hepatocytes are arranged into laminae in such a way that they connect with each other forming a 3 dimensional lattice. The space between the lattices is filled by hepatic sinusoid that performs the function of providing nourishment to the parenchymal cells of the 3 dimensional lattice. Other than the lattice, sinusoids and the non-parenchymal cells form the remaining volume of organ. The different types of non-parenchymal cells found are the inter-luminal kupffer cells, sinusoidal endothelial cell and perisinusoidal stellate cells [1].

When blood passes through the liver the hepatocytes behave as a filter for blood that enters the liver. This behavior of liver helps in production of plasma protein and in endocytic uptake of variety of substances like lipid, trophic agents and growth factors. As liver performs the function of purification and is always in contact of agents like alcohol, excessive fat, pathogens or drugs, it is at higher risk of damage by these agents. This chapter will briefly describe organelles of hepatocytes and the functions they perform in the body. Further the chapter will focus on the function of hepatocytes in metabolism. Moreover it will also explain the mechanism of hepatocyte damage [2].
