The liver is a lobe-shaped organ just behind the diaphragm. It is usually on the right side of the body. The liver
receives its fresh blood supply from the hepatic artery. It is responsible for purifying the blood brought to the liver
by the portal vein from the stomach, spleen, pancreas, and intestines. Liver cells assist in formation of blood. The
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liver also destroys exhausted red blood cells, which are picked up by the bile duct for expulsion from the body.
Liver lobules in swine are much more dominant than those of other domestic animals. This is because connective
tissue that covers the liver is much heavier in swine than it is in other domestic animals.
With the exception of the horse, all domestic animals have a gallbladder. The gallbladder is a small sac-like organ
attached to the liver. The gallbladder empties waste, as bile, through the common bile duct into the duodenum. Bile
is sent to the gallbladder by the liver through the hepatic duct, which joins the cystic duct of the gallbladder.