Hepatitis B and Your Liver

The liver is one of the largest and most important organs in the body; it operates as your body’s battery and keeps the body clean and healthy. As part of the digestive system, the liver’s job is to enhance the energy, filtration, and storage capacities of the body. While the liver can perform over 500 functions, key functions include:

  • Breaks down and converts sugar, fat and protein into energy1
  • Fights infections2
  • Filters and removes toxins from blood2
  • Stores sugar, vitamins and minerals2
  • Produces substances needed for stopping excessive bleeding from cuts or injuries3
  • Produces bile to help digestion of fats2

The liver is four times larger than what needed to survive and is the only internal organ that can regenerate itself. It is made up of millions of liver cells, called hepatocytes4.

When a person is infected with chronic hepatitis B, the virus multiplies and attacks the liver slowly over time. This can lead to fibrosis and cirrhosis, which can impair the liver’s ability to regenerate5. Most people suffering from hepatitis B do not show any signs or symptoms, so they can live for many years without knowing they have been infected. When left undiagnosed and untreated, the hepatitis B virus can cause life-long complications that may ultimately lead to liver cancer and death.

References

1 Britannica Encyclopedia Online. Liver. Available at http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/344579/liver#tab=active~checked%2Citems~checked&title=liver%20--%20Britannica%20Online%20Encyclopedia. Accessed 11 September 2008
2 Hepatitis B Foundation. Your Liver and Its Functions. Available at http://www.hepb.org/hepb/your_liver.htm. Accessed 11 July 2008
3 British Liver Trust. Summary of the liver’s functions. Available at http://www.britishlivertrust.org.uk/home/the-liver/summary-of-the-livers-functions.aspx. Accessed 11 July 2008
4 British Liver Trust. The Liver. Available at http://www.britishlivertrust.org.uk/home/the-liver.aspx. Accessed 17 July 2008
5 The Association of British Pharmaceutical Industry. Target Hepatitis – The Liver in Health and Disease. Available at http://www.abpi.org.uk/publications/publication_details/targetHepatitis/liver.asp. Accessed 13 April 2009.