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Test How Much You Know About the Importance of Your Liver

These 15 true or false statements can better help you to understand the essential role your liver plays in keeping you not just healthy, but alive.

Check the answers below. Then share what you’ve learned by testing your relatives and friends!

1. The liver is the second largest organ in the human body. True__ False__

2. Bile is a liquid made in the liver that helps break down fats and other nutrients. True__ False__

3. Just like the heart and kidneys, under no circumstances can the liver ever regenerate itself. True__ False__

4. The liver makes protein and it also stores glucose, vitamin B12 and iron. True__ False__

5. The liver is located under the ribs on the left side. True__ False__

6. Even though it does its best, the liver is unable to save up energy. True__ False __

7. Shaped like a football that is flat on one side, the adult liver weighs about three pounds. True__ False__

8. Although it is capable of doing a lot of things, the liver plays no role in stopping someone from bleeding. True__ False__

9. Alcohol can damage or destroy liver cells, but a person who has liver disease can still practice moderation by drinking a glass or two of alcohol every day. True__ False__

10. If someone is overweight or obese, it doesn’t affect the health of that person’s liver. True__ False__

11. The health of a person’s liver is determined by conducting various blood tests. True__ False__

12. It may be difficult to believe, but the liver helps to build muscle. True__ False__

13. In a polluted environment, the liver isn’t able to protect a person’s body. True__ False __

14. Primary liver cancer (cancer that starts in the liver) is one of the few cancers on the rise in the United States. True__ False __

15. Basic over-the-counter medicines can’t affect the liver. True__ False _



1. True. The largest organ is your skin. (You could say the liver is the largest internal organ in your body.

2. True

3. False. The liver is the only organ capable of regenerating itself. When a partial liver is donated, the transplanted portion will grow to a normal size in the recipient.

4. True

5. False. The liver is on the right side.

6. False. The liver processes what someone eats and drinks into energy and nutrients, which that person’s body can use.

7. True

8. False. The liver regulates blood clotting. In fact, it can stop cuts from bleeding for a long time.

9. False. For people with liver disease, even a small amount of alcohol can make the disease worse.

10. False. It’s normal for the liver to contain some fat. However, if more than 5 to10 percent of the liver’s weight is fat, then it is called a fatty liver. Clinical conditions that are associated with fatty liver are diabetes, being overweight (especially increased abdominal girth), high blood pressure and elevated triglycerides (a type of fat) in the blood.

11. True. Blood tests measure the levels of certain proteins and enzymes in the blood. (Proteins are large molecules that are needed for overall health. Enzymes are protein cells that enable certain chemical reactions to occur in the body.)

12. True

13. False. As much as possible, the liver keeps pollution from hurting someone.

14. True. About 21,000 Americans are diagnosed with primary liver cancer each year. It’s about twice as common in men than in women.

15. False. Everything we eat and drink, and even whatever we breathe in, is processed by the liver. So all medications—including prescriptions and non-prescribed medications—as well as vitamins, dietary supplements and alternative medicines, affect the liver.

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Page updated: September 12th, 2013