Liver: Portal Triad Model
Portal Triad Model
- The area of the portal lobule, which comprises all hepatocytes that drain into a single bile duct, is a triangle bound peripherally by the central venules, with the portal triad at the center.
This is the exact opposite arrangement as the classical model, which places the portal triads at the periphery and the central venule centrally.
- Because "central" is not accurate in this model, some authors refer to the "central venules" as the "terminal hepatic venule." However, for consistency and context, we'll continue to refer to it as the central venule.
The portal lobule model is physiologically useful when we study the exocrine functions of the liver, because it highlights the pathway of bile secretion.