Basic Functions of Abdominal Organs

Most EMT level providers are square on the primary function of the stomach. We can name several things our liver is doing for us and we get the whole kidney concept as well. But when we start drifting beyond the basics, the conversation can turn fuzzy. OK … It’s been a little while since I studied this. What was the spleen doing again? Something about the immune system right? Oh, the Pancreas that produces Insulin doesn’t it? Or was that the gallbladder? Fear not. I put together a handy reference for you. Here’s a list of all those abdominal organs for your review. Now you can sort your large intestine from your small and your kidney from you appendix. Let’s get started. The Liver Taking up a large portion of the upper right quadrant, the liver also extends down into the lower right quadrant and across the epigastrium to take up a fair chunk of room in the upper left quadrant as well. When we look at the list of functions for the liver it makes sense why it feels the need to take up some real estate in the upper abdomen. It is the largest gland in the body and there is currently no know way to survive in the complete absence of liver function. The liver acts as a filter and processing unit for circulating blood. It is a solid organ and very vascular. Complex carbohydrates in the bloodstream are broken down in the liver and stored as glycogen for later use. Proteins and fats are also processed and stored in the liver as ...
Source: The EMT Spot - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Tags: EMT Source Type: blogs