Avian Liver - Anatomy & Physiology

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BACK TO THE LIVER - ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY
BACK TO THE AVIAN DIGESTIVE TRACT - ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY


Structure

  • 2 lobes
  • Dark brown coloured (except just after hatching where it is yellow)
  • Right lobe larger than left lobe
  • Ventral and caudal to the heart (as there is no diaphragm)
  • CLosely associated to the proventriculus and spleen
  • Thin capsule
  • Indistinct lobation
  • 2 bile ducts enter the distal duodenum, one from each lobe of the liver
  • The duct from the right lobe is connected to the gallbladder
  • Hepatic lobules indistinct (except near hilus) due to a lack of perilobular connective tissue
  • Avian bile aids the emulsification of fats and contains amylase and lipase
Anatomy of the Liver(Avian)- Copyright RVC 2008

Function

Vasculature

Innervation

Lymphatics

Histology

Liver and Spleen (Avian)- Copyright Nottingham 2008
  • Polyhedral and angular cells
  • Larger cells than in mammals
  • Large, spherical nucleus
  • Base of cell forms a wall of the sinusoid
  • Cell apices communicate with the bile canaliculi
  • Granular cytoplasm
  • Liver cords form columns around the interlobular bile capillary. The cell arrangement is simpler than in mammals.
  • Sinusoids anastamose freely
  • Kupfer cells present
  • Reticular fibres support the liver cords
  • Elastic fibres in the capsule and vessels


Species Differences

Links