Liver : The liver is a reddish brown organ with four lobes of unequal size and shape. A human liver normally weighs 1.44–1.66 kg (3.2–3.7 lb), and is a soft, pinkish-brown, triangular organ. It is both the largest internal organ (the skin being the largest organ overall) and the largest gland in the human body. It is located in the right upper quadrant of the abdominal cavity, resting just below the diaphragm. The liver lies to the right of the stomach and overlies the gallbladder. It is connected to two large blood vessels, one called the hepatic artery and one called the portal vein. The hepatic artery carries blood from the aorta, whereas the portal vein carries blood containing digested nutrients from the entire gastrointestinal tract and also from the spleen and pancreas. These blood vessels subdivide into capillaries, which then lead to a lobule. Each lobule is made up of millions of hepatic cells which are the basic metabolic cells. Lobules are the functional units of the liver.
Hepatitis B : Hepatitis B is an infectious inflammatory illness of the liver caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV) the disease has caused epidemics in parts of Asia and Africa. About a third of the world population has been infected at one point in their lives, including 350 million who are chronic carriers.
Chronic infection : About 80% of those exposed to the virus develop a chronic infection. Most experience minimal or no symptoms during the initial few decades of the infection, although chronic hepatitis C can be associated with fatigue. Hepatitis C after many years becomes the primary cause of cirrhosis and liver cancer. About 10–30% of people develop cirrhosis over 30 years. Cirrhosis is more common in those co-infected with hepatitis B or HIV, alcoholics, and those of male gender. Those who develop cirrhosis have a 20-fold greater risk of hepatocellular carcinoma, a rate of 1–3% per year, and if this is complicated by excess alcohol the risk becomes 100 fold greater. Hepatitis C is the cause of 27% of cirrhosis cases and 25% of hepatocellular carcinoma worldwide.