Introduction

Situated in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen, under the diaphragm and covered by the lower right ribs, the liver is the largest organ of the body. An average, healthy liver of an adult weighs about 1.5 Kg and is reddish-brown in color. It is divided into two main lobes and has about 25% of the cardiac output flowing through it. The liver plays an important role in detoxifying the body and it does this by filtering the blood that comes in from the digestive tract before it sends it back out into the rest of the body. It is also responsible for the production of proteins like albumin and clotting factors. Cholesterol and bilirubin (hemoglobin degradation products) are excreted through bile. It secretes bile acids which help in digestion of fats. The drugs which we are taking are often metabolized in the liver and few are excreted through bile.