Most of the liver’s activity is carried out by hepatocyte liver cells grouped into lobules. Each of these are centred around a central vein with the outer surfaces served by branches of the portal vein and hepatic artery. Smaller blood vessels, called sinusoids, run between the cells of the lobules and are where the exchange of blood compounds take place.^10,12

Other cell types include:^12,13,14,15

Kupffer cells – resident macrophage cells protecting the liver against infection, and which help metabolise protein complexes, small particles, lipids and dead or damaged cells, particularly red blood cells.

Pit cells or hepatic natural killer (NK) cells – lymphocytes which can lyse infected or cancerous cells and also produce pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interferon gamma

Hepatic stellate or fat cells – the main stores of vitamin A in the body, which are normally dormant unless the liver is facing injury.