The liver

The Liver

Where is it?
The liver, a dark reddish-brown organ, is in the abdomen on top of the stomach, the right kidney, and the intestines.

What does it do?
The liver makes a substance called bile. Bile helps to break down fats during digestion so that they can be absorbed into the blood. The liver also processes blood that flows to it from the stomach and intestines. It breaks down the nutrients from food that have moved into the blood during digestion. This makes it easier for the body to use the nutrients.
(Nutrient are proteins, minerals, carbohydrates and vitamins that the body gets from food.)

Other things it does
The bile that the liver makes also helps to carry away wastes.

The liver makes proteins for blood plasma.

It stores excess blood sugar or glucose and stores the mineral iron. The extra glucose and iron can be used later when the body needs them.

The liver also filters and cleans the blood of drugs and other poisons such as alcohol. By removing bacteria (germs) from blood, the liver helps to protect the body from infections.

The liver also changes the medicines we take so that the body can absorb and use them to make us better.

The liver can be damaged by the hepatitis virus and by alcohol which stop it from working as it should.

Go here for an illustration of the digestive system showing the liver
http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/aha/aha_digestiv_art.htm

Go here for more about the liver:
http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/htbw/htbw_main_page.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liver

Acknowledge this source in your bibliography like this:
The Liver (2005). [Online], Available:www.kidcyber.com.au

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