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Multiple Choice

Which hepatic acinus zone has the highest oxygen supply and the greatest resistance to toxins?

Oxygen delivery and toxin handling are greatest near the incoming blood supply and fall as you move toward the central vein. The periportal zone, closest to the portal triad, receives the blood with the highest oxygen content. That high oxygen supports robust oxidative metabolism and the energy-dependent detoxification processes in this region, making it more capable of neutralizing toxins and more resistant to toxin-induced injury. In contrast, the central (pericentral) zone has lower oxygen and is more exposed to toxic metabolites generated by enzymes like cytochrome P450, which explains why that zone is more susceptible to toxic injury. So the periportal zone has the highest oxygen supply and the greatest resistance to toxins.

Oxygen delivery and toxin handling are greatest near the incoming blood supply and fall as you move toward the central vein. The periportal zone, closest to the portal triad, receives the blood with the highest oxygen content. That high oxygen supports robust oxidative metabolism and the energy-dependent detoxification processes in this region, making it more capable of neutralizing toxins and more resistant to toxin-induced injury. In contrast, the central (pericentral) zone has lower oxygen and is more exposed to toxic metabolites generated by enzymes like cytochrome P450, which explains why that zone is more susceptible to toxic injury. So the periportal zone has the highest oxygen supply and the greatest resistance to toxins.