Video Transcript
If a person is suffering from liver
failure, they can receive a partial transplant. This is when a part of a liver from
another living person is taken and transplanted into the body of the sick
person. In this case, both the donor and
the recipient can continue to live healthy lives. How does this work? Option (A), liver cells have very
high rates of mitosis, so they can easily divide and replicate themselves to reform
the missing parts of the liver. Option (B), a person can survive
without a liver so the donor can donate an entire liver. Option (C), if part of the liver is
removed, the stomach and small intestine can carry out some of their roles. Or option (D), this description is
incorrect: only the organs of deceased donors can be donated.
Our question asks us about the
liver, a very special organ within the body that has many functions. These include the processing of
nutrients and the removal of toxins. Because the liver acts in the
removal of toxins or detoxification, its cells must be constantly dividing in order
to replace those that are damaged by the toxins. Therefore, liver cells are known to
have high rates of mitosis, which is the process of cellular division. During a partial liver transplant,
the patient with the damaged liver is provided with part of a healthy liver from a
suitable donor. This allows the donor to keep part
of their liver as well.
While most transplants require
whole organs, the liver is an exception due to its high rates of mitosis. Let’s understand why. Because it can quickly increase its
cell numbers, the transplanted liver is able to regenerate, forming a whole healthy
liver in the patient. What’s more, the remaining part of
the liver in the donor will also behave in the same way. Eventually, both the donor and the
patient who received the partial transplant, or the recipient, will have a full
functioning liver.
Now that we have discussed the
process of partial organ transplantation, we can take a look at our answer
choices. The question asks how both the
donor and recipient are able to continue living healthy lives following a partial
organ transplant. The correct answer to this question
is (A): Liver cells have very high rates of mitosis, so they can easily divide and
replicate themselves to reform the missing parts of the liver.
