Question

Answer the following very briefly:
Why should the blood that goes away from the stomach and intestines pass through the liver and not directly to the heart?

Answer 1

The veins starting from the stomach and intestine do not directly convey the blood to the posterior vena cava. Instead, they first enter the liver as a combined hepatic portal vein. The liver acts as a storehouse to regulate the number of nutrients flowing into the general blood circulation. The liver performs many functions some of which are gluconeogenesis, glycogenolysis and detoxification. Gluconeogenesis is the conversion of excess sugar (that are absorbed from the intestinal wall) into glycogen with the help of insulin hormone. Glycogenolysis is the conversion of glycogen into glucose. The liver cells detoxify any toxic molecules that are absorbed into the body through food.