Two adjacent hepatocytes. Notice the sinusoidal space, endothelial lining, the Disse space and the bile canaliculus with villi. Their nuclei are large and they have numerous mitochondria in the cytoplasm which provide energy to these very active cells.
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Fig 21 -A normal adult human liver contains approximately 100 billion hepatocytes.They form one cell
thick walls (plates) running from portal space to central veins.About20 cells cover this distance. They are continuously renewed,proliferating near the portal space and dieing near the central vein . Their life span is probably from 50
to 300 days.They are 30 microns in diameter.They are polarized
cells with a sinusoidal surface,a biliary surface and lateral surfaces.The sinusoidal surface is covered
by microvilli visible only with electron microscopy.The villi
enhance 6 folds the sinusoidal surface . The villi float in the Disse space.The biliary surface
forms the wall of the bile canaliculus and functions as
secretory apparatus for bile and
products to be discharged into the biliary tract. The lateral surfaces are attached to adjacent hepatocytes by
intercellular junctions.
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