肝是什麼？

肝臟 Liver ，為脊椎動物(包括人類)的一個器官。肝臟主要以代謝功能為主的一個器官，也在身體裡面扮演著去氧化，儲存肝醣，分泌性蛋白質的制合成等等。肝臟也製造消化功能中之膽汁。在醫學用字上，常以拉丁語字首hepato- 或 hepatic來描述肝臟或肝臟的。

解剖學
成人的肝臟約在一到二點五公斤。是人體中最的大器官。為一紅棕色的 V 字形器官。肝臟位於人體中的腹部位置，在右側橫隔膜之下，為於膽囊之前端且於右邊腎臟的上方。



兩大血管通往肝臟:肝動脈和門靜脈。肝動脈來自腹腔干。門靜脈引來消化道的靜脈血，肝臟就可以處理其中的營養物質和毒素。肝靜脈直接注入下腔靜脈。

The bile produced in the liver is collected in bile capillaries which merge to form bile ducts. These eventually drain into the right and left hepatic ducts, which in turn merge to form the common hepatic duct. The cystic duct (from the gallbladder) joins with the common hepatic duct to form the common bile duct. Bile can either drain directly into the duodenum via the common bile duct or be temporarily stored in the gallbladder via the cystic duct. The common bile duct and the pancreatic duct enter the duodenum together at the Ampulla of Vater. The branchings of the bile ducts resemble those of a tree, and indeed the term "biliary tree" is commonly used in this setting.

肝臟是人類唯一有再生能力的器官。