THE ABDOMEN. 149 



The Liver. Below the diaphragm on the right and 

 extending across above the stomach, resting in a way 

 upon the transverse colon and the small intestine, is the 

 liver, the largest gland in the body. It is dark reddish- 

 brown in color and is larger in proportion in the child than 

 in the adult. The upper surface is convex and lies in 

 contact with the diaphragm, while the lower surface is 

 concave to fit over the organs beneath. With a full 



FIG. 56. The liver, seen from below. 1, Inferior vena cava; 2, gall-bladder. 



(Morrow.) 



breath it comes downward and forward, with the edge 

 against the abdominal wall, and can be easily felt. 

 Numerous strong ligaments, including the suspensory 

 ligament from the diaphragm, hold it in place, and it is 

 more firmly fixed than any other of the abdominal organs, 

 probably on account of its large size. It is divided by 

 fissures into five lobes, of which the most important are 

 the right and left, the right one being the largest and con- 

 taining the gall-bladder in one of its fissures. 



The liver tissue contains a large number of cells collected 



