Hepatocyte
Hepatocyte
Definition
The hepatocytes (hepatic cells) are polyhedral in form. They vary in size from 12 to 25µ in diameter. They contain one or sometimes two distinct nuclei. The nucleus exhibits an intranuclear network and one or two refractile nucleoli. The cells usually contain granules; some of which are protoplasmic, while others consist of glycogen, fat, or an iron compound.
Hepatocytes are organised into plates separated by vascular channels (sinusoids), an arrangement supported by a reticulin (collagen type III) network. The hepatocyte plates are one cell thick in mammals.
- Protein synthesis
- Protein storage
- Transformation of carbohydrates
- Synthesis of cholesterol, bile salts and phospholipids
- Detoxification, modification, and excretion of exogenous and endogenous substances
The hepatocyte also initiates formation and secretion of bile.
References
This definition incorporates text from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy (20th U.S. edition of Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body, published in 1918 – from http://www.bartleby.com/107/).
This definition incorporates text from the wikipedia website - Wikipedia: The free encyclopedia. (2004, July 22). FL: Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Retrieved August 10, 2004, from http://www.wikipedia.org
