Portal_triad
Lobules of liver
Microscopic anatomical divisions of the liver
In histology (microscopic anatomy), the lobules of liver, or hepatic lobules, are small divisions of the liver defined at the microscopic scale. The hepatic lobule is a building block of the liver tissue, consisting of a portal triad, hepatocytes arranged in linear cords between a capillary network, and a central vein.
Lobules are different from the lobes of liver: they are the smaller divisions of the lobes. The two-dimensional microarchitecture of the liver can be viewed from different perspectives:[1]
Name | Shape | Model |
classical lobule[2] | hexagonal; divided into concentric centrilobular, midzonal, periportal parts | anatomical |
portal lobule[3] | triangular; centered on a portal triad | bile secretion |
acinus [4] | elliptical or diamond-shaped; divided into zone I (periportal), zone II (transition zone), and zone III (pericentral) | blood flow and metabolic |
The term "hepatic lobule", without qualification, typically refers to the classical lobule.