Liver - External Surface
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Key Features
4 lobes
- Right
- Left
- Caudate
- Quadrate
Outer surface
- Fibrous capsule
- Partially enveloped by visceral peritoneum
- Diaphragmatic surface of the liver faces the diaphragm
- Visceral surface of liver faces abdominal viscera
- Inferior border marks boundary of diaphragmatic and visceral surfaces
False ligaments
- Created where the visceral peritoneum folds upon itself; they attach the liver to structures within the abdominal cavity
- Anterior and posterior coronary ligaments
- Falciform ligament superficially divides liver into right and left lobes, attaches liver to anterior abdominal wall; is continuous with anterior coronary ligament
- Right and left triangular ligaments form where anterior and posterior coronary ligaments meet
True ligaments
- Remnants of fetal structures that are no longer functional
- Round ligament (aka, ligamentum teres) represents the fetal umbilical vein; carried blood from the placenta to the fetus
- Ligamentum venosum; shunted blood from the umbilical vein directly to the inferior vena cava during fetal development.
Fissures
- Right sagittal; inferior vena cava and gallbladder lie in this fissure
- Left sagittal; round ligament and ligamentum venosum lie in this fissure
- Porta hepatis, where hepatic vessels and hepatic duct enter and exit the liver at the hilum.