Excretion by the liver
Many toxic substances are stored and detoxified in the liver. Detoxification takes place by one of the many mechanisms discussed previously to produce water-soluble products. The toxic substances are then excreted into the bile. Bile is produced in the liver by the hepatic cells. The bole drains into a system of canals and ducts ultimately converging to form the common bile duct, which empties into the duodenum portion of the small intestine. This mechanism is important in removing large protein bound toxicants such as heavy metals.