Liver vs spleen: how they differ, in 3D
The liver and the spleen both lie in the upper abdomen under the ribs, but the liver is on the right and the spleen on the left. The liver is the largest internal organ: it processes and stores nutrients and makes bile. The spleen is a fist-sized lymphatic organ behind the stomach that filters the blood, clears old red cells and gathers immune cells.
Frequently asked questions
Which side are the liver and the spleen on?
The liver lies in the upper right of the abdomen and the spleen in the upper left. The spleen sits behind the stomach, level with the left 9th to 11th ribs.
Which is bigger, the liver or the spleen?
The liver is far bigger: it is the largest internal organ. The spleen is roughly the size of a fist, and it is the largest lymphatic organ in the body.
Does blood from the spleen flow to the liver?
Yes. The splenic vein joins the superior mesenteric vein behind the pancreas to form the hepatic portal vein, which carries blood from the stomach, intestines and spleen to the liver.
The organs compared
Other organ comparisons
- Small intestine vs large intestine
- Liver vs pancreas
- Stomach vs pancreas
- Heart vs lungs
- Stomach vs small intestine
More comparisons
Read more
- The human skeleton in 3D
- BAHI BODY 3D human body
- Chronic Disease Is Systemic Breakdown: chapter summaries
- Blog
Related reading
- Chronic inflammation: a low fire that doesn’t go out
- Microplastics in the body: where they’ve been found, and what we still don’t know
Once the 3D model loads you can turn it and select each part.