Where the Liver Is Located in Humans: Position, Lobes, and Structure

The liver is the largest organ inside the body and the largest gland. It sits under the diaphragm, in the right upper abdomen, so any pain in the abdomen on the right immediately gets labeled "liver." Let's clarify where it actually is and when symptoms truly require a doctor.

Where the liver is located in humans

The liver lies in the abdominal cavity under the diaphragm, occupying mainly the right upper abdomen and partly extending to the left. It is the largest gland in the body.

Let's clarify right away: heaviness under the right rib is not a diagnosis. Nearby are the diaphragm, intestines, gallbladder, and right kidney.

Which lobes the liver consists of

Anatomically, two lobes are distinguished — the right and the left; in the right there are two more secondary lobes, the quadrate and caudate. According to Claude Couinaud's segmental scheme (1957), the organ is divided into eight segments forming both lobes, and the quadrate and caudate lobes correspond to segments IV and I of the left lobe.

Under the microscope, this is parenchyma made up of thousands of lobules about 0.7 × 2 mm in size. The lobule is the structural and functional unit: it contains rows of hepatocytes, sinusoidal and bile capillaries, and a central vein.

Liver and gallbladder: how they are connected

The liver produces bile, and the gallbladder is a separate organ nearby.

Porta hepatis and blood supply

The porta hepatis is the site where vessels enter and bile ducts exit; segments are numbered around it. The blood supply is unusual: the portal vein brings blood from the intestines with toxins and microbial waste products, while the proper hepatic artery brings arterial blood. In the sinusoids the blood mixes and flows into the central veins, then into the hepatic veins and the inferior vena cava.

Two flows in the lobule run in opposite directions: blood — from the periphery to the center, bile — from the center to the periphery.

Where the liver hurts and why it does not always hurt

Most liver diseases do not cause symptoms in the early stages. Symptoms appear when the organ is already damaged and covered with scars — this is cirrhosis.

Its signs: constant fatigue and weakness, loss of appetite and weight, decreased libido, yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes, itchy skin, nausea and vomiting. It can also be different: enlargement of the abdomen and legs, easy bruising, changes in the color of stool and urine.

What a healthy liver means and when to see a doctor

A healthy liver neutralizes foreign substances, produces bile, proteins, and cholesterol, and stores energy and vitamins. The three main causes of its diseases are obesity, undiagnosed hepatitis, and alcohol abuse; the risk is reduced by a healthy weight, moderation with alcohol, and vaccination against hepatitis A and B.

Now about a common myth. Milk thistle and "liver cleansing" are not mentioned among the ways to prevent liver disease: what is meant is a healthy weight, limiting alcohol, and vaccination against hepatitis A and B. There is no need to cleanse the liver — it itself converts poisons and toxins into less harmful or more easily excreted compounds.

What a doctor evaluates: liver function tests, ultrasound, CT, MRI, elastography, and if necessary biopsy, ERCP, and MRCP.

Come for an appointment if there is a suspicion of liver disease or cirrhosis:

• constant weakness and weight loss without a clear cause;
• yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes;
• itchy skin, nausea, vomiting;
• enlargement of the abdomen and legs, easy bruising, changes in the color of urine and stool.

Pain in the right upper abdomen by itself is not a reason to call an ambulance; 103/112 — if the condition is life-threatening.

This material is for reference: it helps to understand where our liver is and what to look out for, but it does not replace a doctor's consultation — final conclusions are made by a specialist after examination and tests.

This content is for reference and does not replace a doctor's consultation. Medical disclaimer