h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: How your liver works, and what happens when it goes wrong - A12349299
Author: Z: It's a Doctor eat Doctor world out there... - U185843

It really is time I wrote more for the Edited Guide...

Hey, I love the title.

I don't have time to read it now, but I did notice that the first two commas that you have used need to be replaced by hyphens or colons.

Looks good!

"For the largest organ in the body"

Now then Z, you ought to know that the largest organ in the body is the skin. While it might not be *in* the body, that's usually the phraseology used to describe it.

"Oxidation refers to a chemical process where an electron is added to a molecule"

Remember 'OILRIG' - Oxidation Is Loss, Reduction Is Gain (of electrons).

Slapped wrist!

Adsorbing Food/Carbohydrates/Fats

The word here should be aBSORBING (ADsorption is a surface effect)

'each carbon also has either a Oxgen and a Hydrogen attached' > carbon/hydrogen

protien > protein (at least two instances of this)

'one of the first things that the body will do is break down the glycogen to produce glucose which can be turned into engergy'.

> energy

'Bile acids suround golubles of fat to form a chylomircon'> globules, chylomicron (I think!)

'The moleclue then becomes Low density lipoprotien (LDL)' > molecule, lipoprotein.


suggest you run this through a spellchecker, Z

Good point! I shall do!

*signs again and the skin verses liver debate*

The skin may be the largest organ, but it isn't in the body is it?

It's on my left? or the doctor's when he looks at me?

"or another carbon, with three hydrogens and a oxgyen attached to that, this arrangement is called the methyl group" This is rather unclear. what are you calling a methyl group? oxygen? in a methyl group?

You might want to refer to A388217 and other entries in its group.

"no where" - nowhere

and I agree on the spellcheck!

Don't people read what others say before replying any more? This is the second time in five minutes I've had to do this. Let me reiterate:

"While it might not be *in* the body, that's usually the phraseology used to describe it."

In other words, saying it's *in* the body is the phraseology people use to say 'belonging to the body', 'of the body', 'part of the body'.

Good point Notty!

You state your point in the form of a question, so I (not a doctor) venture to confirm that your liver is on your right hand side under your ribcage! My surgeon has examined my liver every year since a had cancer ten years ago (by pushing his fingers under my right rib side)! Admittedly HIS left hand view, but this is how surgeons can also take the wrong kidney out, often with fatal consequences!

I agree with Gosho about the skin vs liver thing. It seems a shame to start an entry with an incorrect statement, especially when it's such a popular trivia question.

I thin you need to run it through a spell check as well Z, there are a few typos in it. I noticed 'adsorbed' a few times and 'a oxygen' plus a couple of others.

I found this a little hard reading because of the 'jargon' but that might just be me, sorry.

One thing I couldn't see mentioned was physical damage and what happens. You do say 'when the liver is damaged' but it doesn't seem very clear. My brother lost a part of his liver (and a kidney) when he had a motorbike accident about 20 years ago. Rumour has it that the liver will have regenerated by now, but we're not entirely sure about that.

For my liver update which seems to be coming along, I added "internal" to describe the organ, as opposed to the skin, thus:

"The liver is the largest, heaviest and most complex internal organ in the body"

Needs some work on a spell check.

I can go through and list them if it's of help. Just give me a shout.

Hi Z,

I like your style of writing - this has the makings of a great entry, and we're all *looks around* here to help you get it into the EG double quick...

I have a few niggles of my own here..

Firstly on the subject of the largest organ... I have always described the liver as a gland, and yes, whiole the sking *is* the largest 'organ', the liver is the largest 'internal organ'.

Can you describe the appearance of the liver?For example, it is a lobed 'organ'.

On the subject of position... Gray's anatomy says it is on the right, not the left. I went looking because liver dysfunction can refer pain to the right shoulder, and your assertion it was on the left didn't sound right. Mind you, I suppose in organ reversal syndrome, it *could* be found on the left

You still have a couple of 'adsorb's in there. If there is a case for your decision to choose to use it, could you place a definition or explanatin in a ( *gasp* I don't believe I am suggesting this!) footnote?

... and a fair few typos. You may choose to wait till you're done with the content before addressing those, though, so you get them all in one fell swoop.

Under your heading for cleaning the blood, you go straight into drug metabolism. Could you have a litle intro to different types of blood toxicity that the liver deals with? Eg environmental toxins, other breakdon products of metabolic activity within the body? (Uric acid springs to mind )

There's a fair bit to be done yet, but it is shaping up well. I do hope you drink ...


W

Hi, certainly a lot of work still needed on this.
I have a query ref. LDL cholestorol.
My understanding is that LDL cholestorol is the bad cholestorol, it's not absorbed by other organs, but does accummalate[sp] in veins and arteries leading to onset of heart disease among other things. I thought it was the HDL that was absorbed and used as energy etc. ie HDL being the good cholestorol.
Be interesting to hear from a medic on this, I'm basing my knowledge on the fact that I have been on medication for cholestorol issues for 7 years now.
Regards.
ST.

You're correct, ST, HDL is the "good" cholesterol and LDL is the "bad" which can't be absorbed:
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=180

A high level of low-density lipoprotein reflects an increased risk of heart disease.

GB (not a medic but dealing with the Liver update)

Z - your link to the Liver update entry needs to be to the original entry: A134920 because when the update is absorbed that will be the U number of the update

Well done with this, if you want a hand with the typos pointing out just shout

Sorry VV - great minds

Ok I'm going to take this out of PR for a while because I don't have time to work on it this month because work's too busy.

Sorry for wasting all your time.

And on the subject of position, I wrote left when I meant right. I do occasionally think 'liver side' and 'spleen side' instead of left and right.