Rat Liver Tissue
The digital image in this section depicts a three-dimensional reconstruction of rat liver stained with Alexa Fluor 350 (wheat germ agglutinin; highlighting lectins), Alexa Fluor 568 (phalloidin; labeling actin filaments), and SYTOX Green (nuclei). The liver performs several functions in vertebrates and in other animals, such as detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion. At this time, there is no way to compensate for the absence of liver function. Because the liver supports almost every organ in the body, it is also prone to many diseases - the most common including hepatitis A, B, C, E, and cancer.