The liver and gallbladder are connected, yet they perform different functions. The liver is responsible for monitoring and regulating chemical levels in the body; producing blood-clotting chemicals; manufacturing cholesterol; and converting digested substances into carbohydrates, fats and proteins. The liver also breaks down harmful substances created in other parts of the body or absorbed by the intestine, and turns them into a harmless chemical called bile. The gallbladder's only function is storing bile. The chemicals broken down in bile are absorbed by the intestine and excreted from the body in feces.
The use of some
prescription and over-the-counter drugs has been shown to impair the liver's ability to perform, causing liver disease symptoms. View sub-topics at right to learn more about some specific liver and gallbladder disorders and some of their common causes.
See Also
- Liver Problems
- 1,1,1-Trichloroethane
- 1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane
- 1,1,2-Trichloroethane
- 1,2,3-Trichloropropane
- 1,3-Butadiene
- 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene
- 4,4'-Methylenedianiline
- Boron
- Bromodichloromethane
- Bromoform and Chlorodibromomethane
- Cadmium
- Carbon Disulfide
- Carbon Tetrachloride
- Chlordane
- Chlorinated Dibenzofurans (CDFs)
- Chlorobenzene
- Chloroform
- Gas Cans
- Hexachlorocyclopentadiene (HCCPD)
- Hexachloroethane
- HMX - High Melting eXplosive
- Jet fuels JP-4 and JP-7
- Kerosene (Fuel Oils)
- Mirex and Chlordecone
- Nitrobenzene
- n-Nitrosodimethylamine
- n-Nitrosodi-n-propylamine
- Otto Fuel II
- Pacerone / Cordarone / Amiodarone Hydrochloride
- Pentachlorophenol
- Phenol
- Plutonium
- Poles, Incorporated - Oldtown, Idaho
- Pyridine
- Royal Demolition eXplosive - RDX
- Styrene
- Tetryl
- Thallium
- Thorium
- Tin
- Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH)
- Toxaphene
- Vinyl Chloride
- White Phosphorus
- Xylene
- Zelnorm Recalled Due to Heart Attacks and Strokes