Over 500 vital functions are associated with the liver making it an exceptionally important organ. The liver regulates chemical levels in the blood and excretes bile. Bile helps to break down fats and prepare them for digestion and absorption. The liver can hold up to 13% of the body's blood supply at any time and all of the blood that leaves the stomach and intestines enters the liver. This blood is then processed and the nutrients and drugs in the blood are broken down. Oxygenated blood enters the liver from the hepatic artery and nutrient enriched blood passes through from the hepatic portal vein.

There are two main lobes in the liver made up of thousands of lobules which are connected to small ducts that are attached to larger ducts and ultimately the hepatic duct. This duct transports the bile to the gallbladder and small intestine. Some of the many functions of the liver include the production of proteins for blood plasma, production of cholesterol, conversion of excess glucose, processing of hemoglobin to use the stored iron and the clearing of drugs and poison from the blood.

Once harmful substances have been broken down, they are then released into the bile or blood. Bile waste products enter the intestines and leave the body in the feces. Blood by-products go through the kidney and are released in urine. A healthy liver is the key to the a healthy metabolism as the liver plays a role in fuel management, nitrogen excretion, water distribution and detoxification which are all elements of metabolism. Due to the importance of the liver's roles in the body, a damaged or diseased liver can lead to death.

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