Word parts
What it means
Describes the liverLIV-erA large organ in the right upper abdomen that processes nutrients, makes bile and clotting factors, and clears drugs and toxins from the blood.hepat/o liverFull entry and what it does. Common phrases are hepatic function (how well the liver works), hepatic encephalopathy (confusion from toxins the failing liver cannot clear), the hepatic artery and portal vein, and hepatic impairment, which changes how drugs are dosed.
For the nurse
Many drugs are broken down by the liver, so liver disease can let them build up. Check liver function tests before and during treatment with drugs that can harm the liver, such as acetaminophen in high doses.
At a glance
| Spanish | hepático |
|---|
Related terms
gallbladder
A small pear-shaped sac under the liver that stores bile and releases it to help digest fat.
hepat/o
A word root that means liver.
metabolism
All the chemical processes in the body's cells that make energy, build tissue and break substances down.
liver
A large organ in the right upper abdomen that processes nutrients, makes bile and clotting factors, and clears drugs and toxins from the blood.