Video Transcript
An important function the liver carries out in the human body is detoxification. Which of the following best describes what happens in detoxification? (A) Ammonia is converted into urine and excreted. (B) Harmful or toxic substances in the body are broken down or neutralized. (C) Bile is produced to detoxify excess stomach acid. Or (D) excess carbon dioxide is broken down into its components: carbon and
oxygen.
The liver is a vital organ in the human body responsible for numerous different
functions that help us to survive, including its role in detoxification, which is of
interest to us in this question.
If we take a closer look at the word “detoxification,” we can see that it includes
the word part “toxi” and deduce that it refers to toxic substances. The prefix de- refers to the removal of these toxic substances. Ethanol is an example of a substance that becomes toxic to our cells when too much is
ingested as it disrupts the cell surface membrane of cells.
To avoid this dangerous effect on cells, which can result in cell death, ethanol can
be transported via the bloodstream to the liver. The cells of the liver can convert some ethanol into a less toxic form. This can then be excreted from the liver cells and eventually removed from the
body. Therefore, detoxification occurs when harmful or toxic substances like ethanol are
broken down or neutralized.
Now that we have discussed an example of the role that the liver plays in
detoxification, we can select the correct answer to our question. The answer choice that best describes what happens in detoxification is (B). Harmful or toxic substances in the body are broken down or neutralized.
