Study liver anatomy and function with our medical students test. Engage with detailed multiple choice questions, each with hints and explanations. Prepare effectively for your test!

Multiple Choice

AFP is produced by which cells in adults?

AFP is a fetal glycoprotein produced mainly by the liver (hepatocytes) and yolk sac. After birth, normal production drops and adult liver cells do not actively secrete AFP. If AFP is elevated in adults, it most often comes from hepatocytes that re-express AFP in disease, such as hepatocellular carcinoma, or from certain germ cell tumors. So the cells responsible in adults are hepatocytes. Neurons, adipocytes, and skeletal muscle cells do not produce AFP.

AFP is a fetal glycoprotein produced mainly by the liver (hepatocytes) and yolk sac. After birth, normal production drops and adult liver cells do not actively secrete AFP. If AFP is elevated in adults, it most often comes from hepatocytes that re-express AFP in disease, such as hepatocellular carcinoma, or from certain germ cell tumors. So the cells responsible in adults are hepatocytes. Neurons, adipocytes, and skeletal muscle cells do not produce AFP.