Regeneration of Liver

Abstract One of the most fascinating features of the liver is that it has the capacity to regulate its own growth and mass. The hepatocyte, the main cellular component of the liver, is a metabolically active cell that does not actively replicate in the normal liver. Yet hepatocytes readily proliferate in response to a deficit in tissue mass or cells. Such conditions occur after surgical removal of portions of the liver (partial hepatectomy) or hepatocyte death caused by chemical injury or viruses. The growth response triggered by these conditions is known as liver regeneration.