BIOLOGY IN HUMAN AFFAIRS 



The liver secretes the bile, which passes to the gall 

 bladder and thence into the intestines. The liver helps to 

 control the amount of sugar in the blood and to supply 

 the tissues with glucose. It forms protein combinations 

 needed in the body. It helps to rid the body of poisons, 

 stores fat, and is concerned in the formation of chemical 

 substances involved in the coagulation of the blood. No 

 doubt there are many other functions of the liver that have 

 not yet been suspected. 



The bile is secreted by the liver continuously; and in 

 animals that have a gall bladder, the bile is passed by it, 

 from time to time, into the intestines. The amount of bile 

 that will pass in twenty-four hours may vary from a pint 

 to a quart and a half. Some of the factors which control 

 the development and secretion of bile have been determined, 

 but the complete mechanism is not yet fully understood. 

 Moreover, the known functions of the bile are numerous, 

 and many of them are still the subject of investigation. 

 It is established, however, that the salts of the bile assist in 

 the digestion and absorption of fat; that the bile helps 

 to remove bacteria from the intestines through the slightly 

 laxative effect which it has; and that in the bile are dis- 

 solved various toxic substances which are taken out of 

 the blood by the liver. 



If the liver of an animal is removed, the subject will 

 remain normal from three to five hours. Shortly after, 

 it becomes seriously ill, develops convulsions, the blood 

 pressure drops tremendously, the heart beat increases, 

 the breathing becomes disturbed, and the animal dies 

 within two hours, unless given some treatment to prolong 

 life. The same symptoms occur when there is a great fall 

 in the amount of sugar in the blood, such as may occur, 

 for instance, with a great overdose of insulin. It follows 

 that deficient functioning of the liver may be associated 

 with serious disease. 



[214] 



