[Durgical](https://durgical.com/en/) › [DurgiPedia](https://durgical.com/en/durgipedia/) › [Histology](https://durgical.com/en/histology/) › [Digestive system](https://durgical.com/en/histology/#a-digestive) › Liver: lobule, acinus, hepatocytes, sinusoids, Kupffer cells [Histology](https://durgical.com/en/histology/) · [Digestive system](https://durgical.com/en/histology/#a-digestive) # Liver: lobule, acinus, hepatocytes, sinusoids, Kupffer cells - Organ The liver is built of cords of cells that blood flows past slowly; where a cell sits in that flow decides what it does and what can hurt it. Updated 2026-11-01 **See it in 3D:** [Liver](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/liver/) ## Key points - Portal triad: portal vein + hepatic artery + bile duct. - Zone 1 = periportal, most oxygen; zone 3 = pericentral, least oxygen and most P450. - Zone 3: ischemia, acetaminophen and alcohol; zone 2: yellow fever. - Stellate (Ito) cells in the space of Disse store vitamin A and drive fibrosis. - Kupffer cells are the liver's resident macrophages. ## What it is Hepatocytes form plates between sinusoids that carry mixed portal and arterial blood toward a central vein. This can be drawn as a hexagonal lobule (central vein in the middle, portal tracts at the corners) or as the acinus, a functional unit divided into zones 1 to 3 by distance from the portal tract. Zones explain why ischemia, drugs, viruses and iron injure different parts of the liver, and the space of Disse explains cirrhosis. ## Structure - Portal tract (portal triad): a branch of the portal vein, a branch of the hepatic artery and a bile duct, plus lymphatics, in connective tissue. - Hepatocytes: large polygonal cells with eosinophilic cytoplasm, often two nuclei, rich in mitochondria, smooth endoplasmic reticulum and glycogen. - Sinusoids: wide capillaries with fenestrated endothelium and no continuous basement membrane. - Space of Disse: the gap between endothelium and hepatocytes, with microvilli of hepatocytes and stellate (Ito) cells that store vitamin A. - Kupffer cells: resident macrophages inside the sinusoids. - Bile canaliculi: tiny channels between neighbouring hepatocytes, sealed by tight junctions; bile flows toward the portal tract, opposite to blood. ## Liver zones 1–3 (acinus) | Zone | Position | Oxygen | Main activities | Typical injury | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Zone 1](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/viral-hepatitis/) | Periportal, next to the portal tract | Highest | Oxidative metabolism, gluconeogenesis, bile formation | Viral hepatitis, early iron in hemochromatosis | | Zone 2 | Middle | Intermediate | Mixed | Yellow fever (midzonal necrosis) | | [Zone 3](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/cirrhosis/) | Pericentral (centrilobular), next to the central vein | Lowest | Cytochrome P450 drug metabolism, fat synthesis | Ischemia, acetaminophen, alcohol, congestion | ## Markers - Reticulin (collapse, plate thickness) - Masson trichrome (fibrosis) - PAS (glycogen) - Perls Prussian blue (iron) ## Clinical notes - Cirrhosis: activated stellate cells turn into myofibroblasts and lay down collagen in the space of Disse, forming fibrous bands around regenerative nodules. - Zone 3 is the first to die in shock and in heart failure (nutmeg liver) because it receives the least oxygen. - Yellow fever, endemic in parts of Colombia, causes midzonal necrosis with Councilman bodies (apoptotic hepatocytes). ## Memory aid Zone 1 eats first and breathes best; zone 3 gets the leftovers and the toxic dishes. ## Test yourself Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it. ## Which acinar zone is most sensitive to ischemia and why? Zone 3 (pericentral), because blood reaches it last, after zones 1 and 2 have taken most of the oxygen. ## What three structures make up the portal triad? A branch of the portal vein, a branch of the hepatic artery and a bile duct. ## Which cell in the space of Disse stores vitamin A and causes fibrosis when activated? The hepatic stellate (Ito) cell, which becomes a collagen-producing myofibroblast. ## In which direction does bile flow relative to blood in the lobule? Opposite: blood runs from the portal tract toward the central vein, bile runs in canaliculi toward the portal tract. [Add to my cards (4)](https://durgical.app/estudiar/?add=/en/histology/liver-lobule-acinus-hepatocytes-sinusoids-kupffer-cells/) ## See it in 3D The structures of Durgical's 3D anatomy where it is found. - [Liver](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/liver/) ## Related - [Gallbladder and bile ducts](https://durgical.com/en/histology/gallbladder-and-bile-ducts/) - [Pancreas: acini and islets](https://durgical.com/en/histology/pancreas-acini-and-islets/) ## Related conditions - [Cirrhosis](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/cirrhosis/) - [Viral hepatitis](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/viral-hepatitis/) - [Hepatocellular carcinoma](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/hepatocellular-carcinoma/) ## Microorganisms - [Hepatitis B virus](https://durgical.com/en/microbiology/hepatitis-b-virus/) - [Hepatitis A virus](https://durgical.com/en/microbiology/hepatitis-a-virus/) - [Yellow fever virus](https://durgical.com/en/microbiology/yellow-fever-virus/) [← All of histology](https://durgical.com/en/histology/) Educational content on normal microscopic structure and its clinical relevance; no substitute for studying slides or for a health professional's advice. Sources: [23.6 Accessory Organs in Digestion: The Liver, Pancreas, and Gallbladder - Anatomy and Physiology 2e | OpenStax](https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology-2e/pages/23-6-accessory-organs-in-digestion-the-liver-pancreas-and-gallbladder) (OpenStax (Rice University), 2022); [Microscopic anatomy of the liver](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6448667/) (Clinical Liver Disease (Wiley), via PubMed Central, 2013); [Accessory Organs | SEER Training](https://training.seer.cancer.gov/anatomy/digestive/regions/accessory.html) (National Cancer Institute (SEER Training), 2026). ## **Spotted a mistake?** We are always improving for the community. Tell us what is wrong and our team will review it. Report a mistake Representative model, for educational purposes only. --- Source: https://durgical.com/en/histology/liver-lobule-acinus-hepatocytes-sinusoids-kupffer-cells/ License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Cite as: DurgiPedia (durgical.com), https://durgical.com/en/histology/liver-lobule-acinus-hepatocytes-sinusoids-kupffer-cells/