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Bile 2

The document discusses Kupffer cells, specialized phagocytic cells in the liver that defend against unwanted materials from the intestine. It also explains liver cirrhosis, which can result from long-term alcohol consumption or infections, leading to excessive fibrous tissue formation that impairs liver function. As a consequence, bile secretion can drastically reduce, causing severe health issues for the patient.

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Ritesh Chowdhury
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70 views2 pages

Bile 2

The document discusses Kupffer cells, specialized phagocytic cells in the liver that defend against unwanted materials from the intestine. It also explains liver cirrhosis, which can result from long-term alcohol consumption or infections, leading to excessive fibrous tissue formation that impairs liver function. As a consequence, bile secretion can drastically reduce, causing severe health issues for the patient.

Uploaded by

Ritesh Chowdhury
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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🧬 Lecture Transcript (Organized and

Complete)

Now I just want you to be introduced to a very interesting cell — and I want you to know its
name.

In the liver structure, what do we have?


We have:

 A wall of liver cells on one side (wall is not the best word, but let's use it for now),
 Another wall of liver cells on the other side,
 And in between them, a capillary.

Inside this capillary, there is a very special type of cell called the Kupffer cell — spelled K-
U-P-F-F-E-R.
Kupffer cells were discovered by a German scientist. Please repeat the name: Kupffer cells.

Kupffer cells are phagocytic cells (they perform phagocytosis — they "eat" unwanted
material).

Think about it:


Material coming from the intestine includes:

 Digested food,
 Along with microbes — viruses, bacteria, and other unwanted organisms.

Microbes are smart too — they can try to get into the body through the gut.
Thus, Kupffer cells serve as a line of defense within the liver.
If anything foreign enters that should not have (apart from the food), the Kupffer cells will
consume and destroy it.

Important point:

 Remember the name Kupffer cells.


 Appreciate their importance in immune defense inside the liver.

Now, look at the two types of livers shown:

 A healthy liver, and


 A liver with cirrhosis (an extreme case).

Liver Cirrhosis can happen under two major conditions:


1. Regular consumption of alcohol over a very long period,
2. Infections like hepatitis or severe jaundice.

Both can cause liver cirrhosis.

What happens during cirrhosis?

 The infected liver tries to regenerate.


 But regeneration results in excess fibrous tissue formation.

Remember when we talked about elephantiasis?


Why does the leg swell in elephantiasis?

 Because of fibrosis (excessive scar tissue formation) blocking lymphatic drainage.

Same concept here:

 Similar fibrosis happens in the liver.


 As a result, the beautiful, efficient anatomy of the liver gets messed up.
 Even if the liver cells are still there and still manufacturing bile, efficiency drops
dramatically.

Normally, every day in 24 hours, our liver secretes about 300 to 400 mL of bile, which is a
significant amount.

But in a cirrhotic liver:

 This secretion drastically reduces.


 Liver’s efficiency can fall down to as low as 10%.
 The patient faces severe health issues.

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