Liver vs stomach: how they differ, in 3D
The liver and the stomach both lie in the upper abdomen just under the diaphragm, but the liver takes up most of the right side and the stomach lies on the left. The liver is the largest internal organ, and its left lobe reaches across to cover the front of the stomach; the stomach is a pouch joining the oesophagus to the duodenum. The liver processes and stores nutrients and makes bile, and the stomach holds food and mixes it with gastric juice. The liver receives blood from two vessels, the hepatic artery and the hepatic portal vein, while the stomach is supplied by branches of the coeliac trunk such as the left and right gastric arteries. Venous blood from the stomach gathers into the portal vein and passes through the liver.
Frequently asked questions
Which organs lie in the upper middle of the abdomen?
The upper middle of the abdomen, the epigastric region, holds mainly the stomach and the left lobe of the liver. Deeper, behind them, the pancreas lies crosswise.
Which is on the right, the liver or the stomach?
The liver. It fills most of the upper right of the abdomen, with only its left lobe reaching across to the left. The stomach lies in the upper left, with its outlet, the pylorus, turning towards the right.
What joins the liver to the stomach?
The lesser omentum, a fold of peritoneum stretched between the liver and the lesser curvature of the stomach and the first part of the duodenum. The hepatic portal vein, the hepatic artery and the common bile duct run in its right free edge.
Where does blood leaving the stomach go?
To the liver. Venous blood from the stomach drains into the hepatic portal vein, which carries blood gathered from the stomach, intestines, spleen and pancreas to the liver.
How many lobes does the liver have?
From the front it divides into a large right lobe and a smaller left lobe, and the underside shows two more, the caudate and quadrate lobes, so four lobes are counted in all.
The organs compared
Parts to look at
Other organ comparisons
- Small intestine vs large intestine
- Liver vs pancreas
- Liver vs spleen
- Stomach vs pancreas
- Heart vs lungs
- Stomach vs small intestine
- Spleen vs pancreas
- Liver vs kidneys
- Spleen vs kidneys
More comparisons
Read more
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- Blog
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