How does your liver filter toxins from your blood?

The liver filters toxins through several mechanisms. Blood from the digestive system flows through the portal vein into the liver, where specialized cells called hepatocytes chemically transform harmful substances. This process, called biotransformation, typically occurs in two phases. In phase one, enzymes (primarily cytochrome P450 enzymes) oxidize, reduce, or hydrolyze toxins to make them more reactive. In phase two, the liver attaches molecules like glutathione or glucuronic acid to these substances, making them water-soluble. Once water-soluble, the toxins can be excreted either into bile, which carries them to the intestines for elimination in stool, or into the bloodstream to be filtered by the kidneys and expelled in urine.