Abstract
The liver plays a central role in maintaining energy balance in the body. After a meal, dietary lipids are transported to the liver in the form of chylomicrons by the lymphatic system. The liver then releases the dietary lipids by the action of lipoprotein lipase and incorporates them into very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDL), which are then secreted from the liver and transported to adipose tissue for storage. The liver also takes up glucose when its plasma concentrations are high and stores it in the form of glycogen. On the other hand, during periods of fasting, the liver maintains blood glucose levels through glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis. The liver also takes up free fatty acids released from adipose tissue and uses them for energy production through fatty acid oxidation. Thus, the liver plays a critical role in both glucose and lipid metabolism. These topics are independently discussed in Chaps. 8 and 10.