What role does liver play in homeostasis?

The liver plays a vital, multifaceted role in homeostasis by producing bile, regulating blood sugar and iron levels, and eliminating toxins. 

Glucose homeostasis: One of the primary roles of the liver is regulating blood glucose levels. When the blood glucose level increases after a meal, the liver extracts excess glucose from the blood and stores it in the form of glycogen. The stored glycogen is converted back into glucose and released into the bloodstream when glucose levels drop, thus ensuring that the cells get a constant supply of energy. 

Iron homeostasis: The liver maintains systemic iron homeostasis via three functions. It produces proteins that maintain systemic iron balance, stores excess iron from the body, and helps move iron from hepatocytes into circulation to help meet the body’s metabolic requirements. 

Detoxification: The liver detoxifies blood by filtering and removing all types of toxins and breaking them down into less harmful substances that can be excreted from the body, thus preventing the accumulation of contaminants that could disrupt the normal functioning of the body. 

Bile production: The liver produces bile, a substance that emulsifies fats and breaks them down into smaller droplets, aiding in their digestion by enzymes in the small intestine. This is essential for synthesizing cholesterol, which is essential for the formation of cell membranes and certain hormones.

Regulation of blood volume: The liver regulates blood volume and blood pressure by preventing excessive fluid loss from the blood vessels, thus maintaining the osmotic balance between the blood and tissues.