Translations:Leberläppchen/1/en

Liver lobules are the smallest functional unit of the liver. The central vein is located in the middle of a hexagonal liver lobule. The liver cells or hepatocytes accumulate radiating from the centre. Between these strands of hepatocytes are the capillary region of the liver, the blood lakes or liver sinusoids. In the hepatic sinusoids, the arterial blood of the hepatic artery mixes with the venous blood of the portal vein. This "mixed blood" then flows centrally to the central vein of the liver lobule. The outflowing central veins of all hepatic lobules collect the blood in ever larger veins until it flows into one of the three large hepatic veins (Vv.hepaticae) and from there into the lower vena cava and to the heart.