The Liver

"The liver is perhaps the most versatile organ in the body. It's many functions include storage of fats and carbohydrates for energy, regulation of blood glucose levels, synthesis of blood proteins, storage of iron and certain vitamins, conversion of toxic ammonia (released by the breakdown of amino acids) into urea, and detoxification of other harmful substances such as nicotine and alcohol." (Audesirk & Audesirk) A major function is to filter the blood coming from the digestive tract, before passing it to the rest of the body. It metabolizes drugs. The liver secretes bile, which is stored in the gallbladder and released into the small intestine through the bile duct. The liver, gallbladder, and pancreas (in endocrine system) work together with the intestines to digest, absorb, and process food.

肝脏可能是身体中最灵活的器官之一。它的许多功能包括脂肪和碳水化合物的储存以供能量使用，调节血糖水平，合成血液蛋白质，储存铁和某些维生素，将有毒的氨（由氨基酸分解释放）转化为尿素，以及解毒其他有害物质，如尼古丁和酒精。 (Audesirk & Audesirk) 一个主要功能是过滤来自消化道的血液，再将其输送到身体其他部位。肝脏能代谢药物。肝脏分泌胆汁，胆汁储存在胆囊中，并通过胆管释放到小肠。肝脏、胆囊和胰腺（在内分泌系统中）与肠道一起消化、吸收和处理食物。

肝脏细胞解毒多种物质

The liver carries the burden of filtering the blood that comes from the intestines which may include numerous poisonous substances. Alcohol and acetaminophin are often mentioned drugs that are detoxified by the liver through a series of chemical reactions. Dissolved toxins are absorbed into the hepatic cells on the walls of structures in the lobes of the liver.

肝脏承担着过滤来自肠道的血液的重任，这些血液可能含有多种有毒物质。酒精和对乙酰氨基酚是常被提及的通过一系列化学反应被肝脏解毒的药物。溶解的毒素会被吸收进入肝脏细胞，这些细胞位于肝脏小叶内的结构壁上。

肝脏产生胆汁，这对于消化过程是必不可少的。

The liver produces about a pint of bile per day to aid in the digestive process. This bile is stored in the gallbladder for the time when it is needed for digestion. Bile consists of bile salts, bile pigments and cholesterol. The bile salts formed in the liver from cholesterol are the essential parts, aiding in the absorption of fats. Most of these bile salts are also absorbed and recycled in the liver to again be a part of the supplied bile.

肝脏每天产生约一品脱的胆汁，以帮助消化过程。这种胆汁储存在胆囊中，以便在消化所需时释放。胆汁由胆盐、胆色素和胆固醇组成。由肝脏从胆固醇中形成的胆盐是其重要组成部分，有助于脂肪的吸收。这些胆盐中的大部分也会被重新吸收并循环利用，再次成为供应的胆汁的一部分。

The bile also serves as a pathway for the elimination of the breakdown products of red blood cells from the spleen. When aged red blood cells are destroyed, the heme portion of them is converted into bilirubin and transported by the blood to the liver. Liver cells extract the bilirubin and excrete it into the bile.

胆汁也作为途径，帮助脾脏将红细胞分解产物排出。当老化的红细胞被破坏时，其血红素部分会转化为胆红素，并通过血液运输至肝脏。肝细胞提取胆红素并将其排出到胆汁中。

Liver cells carry out important tasks in the metabolism of all three kinds of foods - proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.

肝细胞在蛋白质、脂肪和碳水化合物三种营养物质的代谢中发挥着重要作用。

When glucose levels are high, as in the period following a meal, the glucose in the blood flowing to the liver will form glycogen through a process called glycogenesis. Glycogen is stored in the liver and in skeletal muscles as an energy reserve. The liver can then break down this glycogen as needed for production of glucose (glycogenolysis).

当血糖水平较高时，比如在进食后的一段时间内，血液中的葡萄糖会通过一种称为糖原生成的过程形成糖原，储存在肝脏和骨骼肌中作为能量储备。肝脏可以根据需要分解这些糖原以生成葡萄糖（糖原分解）。

In the metabolism of lipids, the liver produces lipoproteins in the form of triglycerides, cholesterol, and phospholipids with proteins. From this process, circulating lipoproteins of different density circulate in the blood and can be measured in diagnostic tests. Represented by their abbreviations VLDL(very low density lipoprotein), LDL(low density lipoprotein), and HDL(high density lipoprotein), they are related to the risk of coronary artery disease (high LDL). High values of HDL (the "good" lipoproteins) are associated with lower risk and may be achieved by regular exercise.

在脂质代谢中，肝脏会生成以甘油三酯、胆固醇和磷脂形式存在的脂蛋白，这些脂蛋白与蛋白质结合。从这一过程产生的不同密度的循环脂蛋白在血液中循环，并可在诊断测试中被测量。这些脂蛋白用其缩写表示：VLDL（极低密度脂蛋白）、LDL（低密度脂蛋白）和HDL（高密度脂蛋白），它们与冠状动脉疾病（高LDL）的风险有关。高HDL值（“好的”脂蛋白）与较低的风险相关，并可通过规律锻炼来实现。

The liver is active in the production (anabolism) of plasma proteins for the blood. It is also home to the major process of handling toxic ammonia from amino acid metabolism in the urea cycle.

肝脏在血浆蛋白（合成代谢）的生成中起着重要作用。它也是处理氨基酸代谢产生的有毒氨的主要场所，这一过程发生在尿素循环中。

The liver receives lactate from cells undergoing anaerobic metabolism and converts it to glucose in the Cori cycle.

肝脏从进行无氧代谢的细胞中接收乳酸，并将其转化为葡萄糖，这一过程称为科里循环。

Cells which have exhausted their oxygen supply produce lactate by the fermentation process. Since this lactate cannot be used by the cells, it is placed in the bloodstream and carried to the liver where it is used in the Cori cycle to produce glucose to place back in the blood supply.

当细胞耗尽氧气供应时，它们会通过发酵过程产生乳酸。由于这些乳酸无法被细胞利用，它们会被释放到血液中，并运输到肝脏，在科里循环中被用来生成葡萄糖，以重新补充血液中的葡萄糖水平。

The liver is a storage location for iron and for vitamins A, B₁₂, and D.

肝脏是铁和维生素A、B12和D的储存场所。

Lobes of liver tissue have radiating plates of hepatic cells where vitamins and other nutrients may be stored.

肝组织的叶状区域含有放射状排列的肝细胞，这些细胞可能储存维生素和其他营养物质。

The liver produces important plasma proteins and serves as a site for blood cell formation during fetal development.

肝脏产生重要的血浆蛋白，并在胎儿发育期间作为血细胞生成的场所。

The liver can synthesize nine of the twenty amino acids needed for human metabolism. Ten of the remaining amino acids are called "essential amino acids" since the body cannot synthesize them, requiring us to obtain them from our diet.

肝脏可以合成人体代谢所需的20种氨基酸中的9种。剩下的10种氨基酸被称为“必需氨基酸”，因为人体无法合成它们，必须从饮食中获取。