Exploring Alcohol’s Effects on Liver Function

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N association between Liver disease and heavy alcoholconsumption was recognizedmore than 200 years ago (Smart andMann 1992). Long-term heavy alco-hol use is the most prevalent singlecause of illness and death from liverdisease in the United States (NationalCenter for Health Statistics 1994).The Liver is particularly susceptible toalcohol-related injury because it is theprimary site of alcohol alcohol is broken down in theliver, a number of potentially danger-ous by-products are generated, such asacetaldehyde and highly reactivemolecules called free radicals.

blood within lobules from the peripheral vessels to the central vein significantly affects liver function and disease. The region adjacent to the peripheral vessels is referred to as zone 1, and the cells surrounding the central vein make up zone 3. Between these zones lies zone 2. Blood flowing through the sinusoids releases dissolved

  Blood, Liver