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Blood is metabolized in the liver as it passes through which of the following types of blood vessels?

A) hepatic vein

B) inferior vena cava

C) arterioles

D) sinusoidal capillaries

1 Answer

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Final answer:

Blood is metabolized in the liver as it passes through d) sinusoidal capillaries, where hepatocytes process the blood from both hepatic arteries and hepatic portal veins before it exits via the hepatic vein.

Step-by-step explanation:

Blood is metabolized in the liver as it passes through sinusoidal capillaries, also known as hepatic sinusoids. These capillaries are a type of open, porous blood space formed by fenestrated capillaries from nutrient-rich hepatic portal veins and oxygen-rich hepatic arteries that allow hepatocytes to process blood efficiently. Both sources of blood - oxygenated from the hepatic arteries and nutrient-rich from the hepatic portal veins - come together in the liver's sinusoidal capillaries. Here, hepatocytes metabolize various substances such as nutrients, toxins, and waste materials. After processing, this blood exits the liver via the hepatic vein, subsequently flowing into the inferior vena cava.

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