JERUSALEM, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Researchers have created a "high-resolution" genetic atlas of a healthy human liver at a resolution of 2 microns, the Weizmann Institute of Science said in a statement on Wednesday.
The liver is the body's largest internal organ and performs more than 500 functions, including filtering toxins, storing energy and helping digestion. However, scientists have only had a rough idea of how these tasks are divided across it.
In a recent study published in Nature, the team used advanced technology and samples from eight healthy living donors and mapped how liver cells function in fine detail, down to individual cells and their exact positions within the tissue.
The results showed that the liver is organized into eight distinct functional regions, each performing different tasks: some focus on storing and releasing sugar, while others process fats or remove toxins.
The researchers said that the new atlas helps explain why certain liver diseases, like fatty liver disease, often start in specific areas.
It could also help scientists develop better treatments in the future by targeting the exact regions where the disease begins, giving doctors and scientists a new tool for understanding how the liver works and how it becomes sick, according to the researchers. ■
