World Liver Day - 19 April

Why in news?

• World Liver Day is celebrated every year on 19 April.
• Objective of World Liver Day:
  • To spread awareness about liver related diseases.
  • To increase vigilance towards hepatitis, fatty liver, cirrhosis, liver cancer etc.
  • To motivate lifestyle improvements so that the liver remains healthy.

Structure of the liver:

• Location: The liver is located in the right upper part of the body, below the stomach.
• Weight: An average human liver weighs about 1.5 kg.

Functions of the liver:

• The liver produces bile, which helps in the digestion of fat.
• It regulates the level of glucose in the blood.
  • After a meal, it stores excess glucose as glycogen and when required, converts it into glucose and releases it into the blood.
• It helps remove toxins from the body such as alcohol, drugs and pollutants.
• It manufactures proteins needed by the body.
• It stores vitamins A, D, B12, and iron.

Liver diseases:

• Hepatitis: It is inflammation of the liver that can be caused by viral infections (such as hepatitis A, B, C).
• Cirrhosis: It is the hardening of liver tissue, usually caused by alcohol consumption or long-term hepatitis.
• Liver cancer: It is a serious and life-threatening condition caused by abnormal growth of liver cells.

Bile production by the liver:

• The liver produces bile, which aids in the digestion of fats.
• This bile is stored in the gall bladder and released into the intestines at mealtime.