Avian Liver - Anatomy & Physiology

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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

• See liver funtion

Vasculature

• See liver vasculature

Innervation

• See liver innervation

Lymphatics

• See liver 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

• Pigeons and parrots lack a gall bladder