EmpeiriaMaking blood proteins
Clinically: Hepatic protein synthesis
A healthy liver makes around 10 to 15 grams of albumin a day, plus most of the proteins that let blood clot. It has very large spare capacity, so blood tests of synthetic function often stay normal until a substantial amount of liver is affected.
unverified These explanations are written to be easy to read and have not yet been checked against a source. The ranges and measurement notes on this page show theirs.
function unverified
The liver builds many of the proteins floating in your blood, including the ones that make it clot. It has a lot of spare capacity, so these tests can look normal even when something is going on.
Hepatocytes synthesize albumin, the majority of coagulation factors, and numerous carrier proteins. Because albumin's half-life is around 20 days, synthetic markers fall late in liver disease.
In clinical terms
Production of albumin, clotting factors and transport proteins by hepatocytes.