Biologic Units
Copyright 2007
The Cell
The cell is the building block of all biological structure. In this image a few polygonal cells of the liver are attached together. Each cell has a central dark nucleus which is embedded in a pinkish cytoplasm. The nucleus takes up approximately 1/5 to 1/6 of the volume of the cell.
(Image courtesy of Barbara Banner M.D.) 13440
The Tissue
The cells of the liver are organized in cords and plates and are organized like spokes of a wheel around the central vein. The plates and cords are lined by the sinusoids which are the channels which carry blood to the liver. Just below the sinusoids, between the wall of the sinusoid and the capsule of the liver there is a space called the space of Disse which carries the lymphatic fluid of the liver. (Image courtesy Ashley Davidoff 13445
Tissue Units
The sinusoids and hepatic cords combine to form a liver lobule which is a functional and structural unit of the liver. At the center of the lobule is the central vein from which emanate many cords of liver tissue. At the periphery of the lobule there are 4-5 groups of portal triads consisting of distal branches of the portal vein (dark blue), hepatic artery (red) and biliary radicle (green). They create the border of the lobule.
(Image courtesy of Ashley Davidoff M.D.) 13009 W
Organs
The lobules of the liver combine to form lobes. The liver has two lobes. In this anatomical specimen the right lobe is seen on the left side of the image lateral to the stone containing gallbladder, while the left lobe is seen with the branching portal triad surrounded by the whitened connective tissue. on the right side of the image. (Image courtesy of Ashley Davidoff M.D.) 13456
Systems
45920.800 Courtesy Ashley Davidoff MD
Body Parts
45883.800 Courtesy Ashley Davidoff MD
Body
The Common Vein
I came across this man in a store window in Washington DC I think in the spring of 1983 and it brought to mind the idea of the concept of the parts making up the whole. I show it in the context of the discussion for some light relief. Courtesy Ashley Davidoff MD 22392 02006p03
Person
72801p
Couple
82835p.800b01 couple nude man woman TCV oneness Davidoff art
The Family
A large family wedding with 12 children. Note the complexion of the groom is completely different to bride’s and her family. Genetics goes deeper than we know, and the good and the bad surface intermittently. However there is no telling when this will occur or become phenotypic.
Davidoff photography. 68494
Groups
A collage of some of the people of South Africa. In this image there is a slight male predominance. Davidoff photography. 57728c
Community
Peru food eating restaurant Davidoff photography Davidoff MD 0063.800
The City
Boston Zakim bridge government centre nucleus Davidoff photography 61855
Nations
Map of Europe showing with Sweden in red. There is a high incidence of sarcoidosis in the Swedish population. 54454 Image from infoplease.com http://www.infoplease.com/atlas/ 54454
Mother Earth
54954 Courtesy of NASA – National Space Science Data Center