Word parts
What it means
The body's largest internal organ. It stores sugar as glycogen, makes proteins such as albumin and clotting factors, makes bile to digest fat, breaks down drugs, alcohol and toxins, and turns ammonia into urea. Liver damage from hepatitis, alcohol or fat buildup can lead to scarring (cirrhosis). Signs of liver failure include jaundiceJAWN-disYellow color of the skin, the whites of the eyes and other tissues from too much bilirubin in the blood.Full entry , easy bleeding, fluid in the abdomen and confusion.
At a glance
| Spanish | hígado |
|---|---|
| Also written | liver's, liver’s |
Related terms
jaundice
Yellow color of the skin, the whites of the eyes and other tissues from too much bilirubin in the blood.
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.
hepatic
Relating to the liver.
metabolism
All the chemical processes in the body's cells that make energy, build tissue and break substances down.
hepatitis B
A liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus.