Final answer:
The middle hepatic vein divides the liver into the right and left lobes. The liver is connected to the body through ligaments, including the falciform ligament, and receives a dual blood supply from the hepatic artery and hepatic portal vein.
Step-by-step explanation:
The middle hepatic vein divides the liver into two distinct sections: the right and left lobes. Each of these lobes has its own blood supply and functions within the hepatic system. Within the right lobe, some anatomists further delineate an inferior quadrate lobe and a posterior caudate lobe by internal landmarks and features.
The liver's connection to the abdominal wall and diaphragm is facilitated by five peritoneal folds known as ligaments. These include the falciform ligament, the coronary ligament, two lateral ligaments, and the ligamentum teres hepatis. Specifically, the falciform ligament and ligamentum teres hepatis, remnants of the umbilical vein, mark the separation of the right and left lobes anteriorly.
The hepatic portal system is crucial to the liver's blood supply, receiving blood from two sources: the hepatic artery and the hepatic portal vein. After these blood supplies have been processed within the liver, the treated blood exits through the right, left, and middle hepatic veins, ultimately joining the inferior vena cava.