The hepatic lobule is the functional unit of the liver. It consists of hepatocytes (liver cells) around a central vein. At the corners of the lobules are hepatic triads: a bile duct and branches of the hepatic portal vein and artery. Portal veins carry nutrients and old red cells to the liver processing by its hepatocytes. Hepatic arterioles carry oxygenated blood to the liver. They join portal veins to form sinusoids.
Sinusoids have a fenestrated endothelium with large, porous holes and no basement membrane. The space of Disse is between the hepatocytes and sinusoids. It bathes hepatocytes directly with plasma. The central vein collects blood from the sinusoids to return it to the circulation (back to the heart). Kupffer cells line the sinusoids. These phagocytic cells engulf pathogens and damaged cells.
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