The liver is a reddish-brown triangle-shaped organ that weighs about three pounds. It is located in the upper right-hand portion of the abdomen. Ribbono Shel Olam gave a person the liver for many vital functions. One of the main functions of the liver is to filter all of the blood leaving the stomach and intestines - the liver processes this blood and breaks down, balances, and creates the nutrients.
But besides this, the liver has many other important functions. Here are just a few of them. It secretes bile into the intestine that breaks down fats. It produces certain proteins for blood plasma. It produces cholesterol and special proteins to help carry fats through the body. It converts excess glucose into glycogen for storage. This glycogen can later be converted back to glucose for energy. (This comes in handy, by the way, when a person is exercising!)
The liver also regulates blood levels of amino acids, which form the building blocks of proteins. And it processes hemoglobin for distribution of its iron content. In fact, the liver actually serves as the body’s storage facility for iron.
The liver converts poisonous ammonia to urea. It clears the blood of toxic substances. And it takes care of clearance of bilirubin.
In addition to all this, the liver is responsible for regulating blood clotting, resisting infections by producing immune factors and removing certain bacteria from the bloodstream. Boruch asher yatzar adam bechochma!
