27.23 : Gross Anatomy of the Liver

The liver, the largest gland within the human body, is a firm and reddish-brown organ. This wedge-shaped structure weighs approximately 1.5 kg and occupies a significant portion of the right hypochondriac and epigastric regions. It extends more to the right of the body's midline than to the left.

Located under the diaphragm, the liver is almost entirely ensconced within the rib cage, providing it with substantial protection. Except for the superior most bare area, the liver's surface is covered by a robust fibrous capsule and a layer of visceral peritoneum.

On its anterior surface, the falciform ligament marks the division between the organ's left and right lobes. Along the inferior edge of the falciform ligament runs the round ligament, a fibrous remnant of the fetal umbilical vein. The posterior surface of the liver features an impression made by the inferior vena cava, indicating the division between the right lobe and the smaller caudate lobe.

The gallbladder finds its place in a recess on the inferior surface of the right liver lobe. Meanwhile, the quadrate lobe is situated between the left lobe and the gallbladder. Afferent blood vessels and other structures reach the liver via the connective tissue of the lesser omentum, converging at a region known as the porta hepatis.