Hepatocytes are the main functional cells of the liver. Their polarized membrane organization lets them exchange selected substances with sinusoidal blood while contributing to a separate network of microscopic bile canaliculi.
The blood-facing surface supports uptake and exchange with the sinusoidal environment. The canalicular surface helps secrete bile between adjacent hepatocytes, while tight junctions help keep the pathways separated.
Discover this remarkable cellular architecture through premium 3D medical CGI from Body Spectra.
Educational content only. The animation simplifies a complex cellular structure and does not represent every transport process or every hepatocyte identically.
