Describe the blood-supply to the liver.
A correct description of the vascular anatomy; the contribution and composition of hepatic
artery and portal vein flow to total hepatic flow and how this is regulated would be awarded
with a pass. An answer that expanded on these main points received additional marks. The
interdependence of hepatic artery and portal vein flow was not appreciated by any candidate.
Either candidates knew the answer to this question or they did not. Some candidate(s) tried
to guess at what the anatomy might be. This attracted no marks. Many candidates lacked
sufficient knowledge to pass this question.
Eipel, Christian, Kerstin Abshagen, and Brigitte Vollmar. "Regulation of hepatic blood flow: the hepatic arterial buffer response revisited." World journal of gastroenterology: WJG 16.48 (2010): 6046.
Abshagen, K., et al. "Anatomy and physiology of the hepatic circulation." PanVascular Medicine (2015): 3607-3629.
Greenway, C. V., and R. D. Stark. "Hepatic vascular bed." Physiological reviews 51.1 (1971): 23-65.
Dancygier, Henryk. "Hepatic Circulation." Clinical Hepatology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, 2010. 55-
Wilkinson, Grant R., and David G. Shand. "A physiological approach to hepatic drug clearance." Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics 18.4 (1975): 377-390.