肝臟
肝臟是人體最大及最重要的器官之一，相當於身體的電池，也負責保持身體清潔及健康。作為消化系統的一部份，肝臟的功能是增強能量、排除毒素及儲存能量。肝臟擁有多達500餘種功能，其中主要功能包括：
- 分解來自於食物的糖份、脂肪及蛋白質並轉化為能量 1
- 對抗感染 2
- 過濾並清除血液中的有害化學物質，即所謂的毒素 2
- 儲存糖份、維他命及礦物質 2
- 製造特別的物質，以防因割傷或受傷而流血過多 3
- 製造膽汁以促進脂肪的消化 2
肝臟由無數肝臟細胞（即肝細胞）組成 4，是人體唯一可自我再生的內部器官，而肝臟的大小是維持生命所需體積的4倍。
文獻
1 Britannica Encyclopedia Online. Liver. Available at http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/344579/liver#tab=active~checked%2Citems~checked&title=liver%20--%20Britannica%20Online%20Encyclopedia. Accessed 11 September 2008.
2 Hepatitis B Foundation. Your Liver and Its Functions. Available at http://www.hepb.org/hepb/your_liver.htm. Accessed 11 July 2008.
3 British Liver Trust. Summary of the liver’s functions. Available at http://www.britishlivertrust.org.uk/home/the-liver/summary-of-the-livers-functions.aspx. Accessed 11 July 2008.
4 British Liver Trust. The Liver. Available at http://www.britishlivertrust.org.uk/home/the-liver.aspx. Accessed 17 July 2008.
1 Britannica Encyclopedia Online. Liver. Available at http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/344579/liver#tab=active~checked%2Citems~checked&title=liver%20--%20Britannica%20Online%20Encyclopedia. Accessed 11 September 2008.
2 Hepatitis B Foundation. Your Liver and Its Functions. Available at http://www.hepb.org/hepb/your_liver.htm. Accessed 11 July 2008.
3 British Liver Trust. Summary of the liver’s functions. Available at http://www.britishlivertrust.org.uk/home/the-liver/summary-of-the-livers-functions.aspx. Accessed 11 July 2008.
4 British Liver Trust. The Liver. Available at http://www.britishlivertrust.org.uk/home/the-liver.aspx. Accessed 17 July 2008.
