What is the hepatic portal system and how does it work?

The hepatic portal system refers to the route of blood
flow through the liver. Several abdominal organs send blood to the liver for
detoxification before it enters the general circulation. The stomach is a good example.
We ingest substances on a daily basis that could prove to be harmful and toxic to our
systems. This rerouting of blood to the liver attempts to rid it from these harmful
substances before that blood enters the systemic circulation. The hepatic portal vein
accomplishes this task.

After the blood leaves the liver it
is then transported to the inferior vena cavae which empties into the right atrium of
the heart. This completes the process of systemic venous
return.

One reason this process is important is that the
hepatic portal system acts to decrease blood glucose concentrations by removing glucose
that would normally enter the circulation and storing it as glycogen in the
liver.