Exam 32: Transport and Metabolic Functions of the Liver

A 60-year-old man is seen in the emergency room.He is disoriented and complains of fatigue and weakness.A physical examination reveals signs of alcohol abuse and a hardened liver.Blood tests reveal hypoglycemia.Loss of the function of which hepatic cell type probably accounts for his inability to maintain normal plasma levels of glucose?

In a study of liver function,a researcher determines the relationship of portal pressures to hepatic blood flow in a normal,anesthetized rat.Which of the following graphs most closely resembles the relationship she is most likely to discover between flow (F)and pressure (P)?

A 45-year-old woman complains to her physician about a 2-month history of recurrent,severe abdominal pain that occurs mainly after she eats large,fatty meals.However,she is well-nourished,and an aspirate of her duodenal contents shows normal micellar concentrations of bile acids.A diagnostic procedure reveals a biliary obstruction; where is the gallstone most likely to be lodged?

A newborn is observed to be mildly jaundiced.Bilirubin is not found in the urine.A relative absence of which of the following liver proteins probably accounts for the symptoms?

In an experiment,a researcher infuses a solution of conjugated bile acids into the portal vein of a rat so that their normal concentrations are approximately doubled.He collects samples of hepatic bile from the rat before and after the infusion.Before the infusion,the concentrations of bile acids,phosphatidylcholine (PC),and cholesterol (chol)are 30,9,and 3 units per milliliter.What would be the predicted concentrations of PC and chol in the bile after the infusion of bile acids?