Liver Disease: Looking after Your Liver
Learn about how your liver works, ways to look after it and how liver damage is caused, studied and treated around the world.
46,971 enrolled on this course
Duration
3 weeksWeekly study
3 hoursLanguages
English, Italiano, Español, Français, PortuguêsEnglish, Italiano100% online
How it works
Liver Disease: Looking after Your Liver
Learn about the amazing roles the liver fulfils to keep you healthy.
We are currently experiencing an international explosion of liver disease that continues to have enormous impact upon healthcare systems and global health. In the UK we have seen a 20% increase in deaths related to liver disease since 2000 and this pattern reflects the global situation.
Contrary to expectations, this dramatic increase in liver disease is not restricted to patients who drink alcohol, and liver cancer is the third most common cause of cancer related death. Many inherited conditions and acquired infections can also cause liver disease, and liver disease as a consequence of obesity and diet is becoming especially significant.
This course will teach you about the amazing roles the liver fulfils to keep you healthy and will show you how these functions are compromised when the liver is damaged. We will highlight the reasons why liver disease is on the increase and show you some of the amazing new treatment options available to address the global challenge of liver disease. Finally we will also show you some simple steps you can take to look after your liver to prevent liver disease.
The Educators won’t be able to join the discussions in this course run or respond to individual comments, but the course encourages a strong learning community. Discussion is an important part of this course – supporting other learners, sharing your own experience and knowledge, and listening to new perspectives. We hope that you will enjoy interacting with and learning from each other in this way. Don’t forget to comment, reply to other learners and ‘like’ comments.
You can see what the authors of this course are up to by following their Twitter feed @BirminghamLiver. You can also find out more in Patricia Lalor’s blog post: “What can you do to look after your liver?”
Syllabus
Week 1
Liver function
Introduction to the course
This activity introduces you to the course materials and what we will cover in the first week.
Start up Quiz
This is a quick quiz to test your starting knowledge.
Liver Anatomy and Function
A series of steps looking at the structure and functions of the liver
Week 1 Summary and Review
A couple of steps for you to discuss the course so far, and see how much you've learnt.
Week 2
Liver damage
Introduction to liver disease
An introductory quiz followed by steps covering how the liver can be injured and what the major causes of liver disease are.
What damages the liver?
Here we focus on individual causes of liver disease such as viral infection, alcohol and drugs, explaining what clinical signs and symptoms occur in patients.
Fibrosis and cirrhosis
In this activity we will look at fibrosis and discuss how it can be diagnosed and staged.
Week 2 Summary and Review
A couple of steps for you to discuss the course so far, and see how much you've learnt.
Week 3
Looking after your liver
Introduction to the final week
This week we will consider the global impact of liver disease and how common diseases vary from country to country. We will also consider steps you can take as an individual to look after your liver.
Treatment of liver disease
In the following steps we consider the use of drugs and surgical approaches for treatment of liver disease, and look at new therapeutic strategies that are in the early stages of development.
Looking after your liver
A series of videos which focus on action you can take as an individual to protect yourself from liver disease. We also consider what the future holds for patients who need treatment for liver disease.
Week 3 summary and final test
A few final, summary steps for you to see how much you've learnt and to discuss your experience on this course.
When would you like to start?
Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.
Available now
Learning on this course
On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Describe the anatomy and function of the liver, and understand how individual cell types contribute to these
- Compare the signs and symptoms of liver disease and understand what causes them
- Discuss the major global causes of liver disease
- Reflect on the varied causes of liver disease
- Explore treatments for different types of liver disease and understand the challenges of treatment
- Explore how diet impacts on the function of both healthy and diseased livers
Who is the course for?
The course will be of relevance to those who enjoy the study of biology and are interested in medicine. Secondary or High school-level knowledge of science is sufficient to complete this course. There will also be optional, additional materials for those already educated to undergraduate level and those who would like to challenge themselves and explore beyond the core material.
Who will you learn with?
Dr Patricia Lalor and Dr Zania Stamataki are research scientists who study the mechanisms of human liver disease in the Centre for Liver Research at the University of Birmingham.
Who developed the course?
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a public research university, consistently listed as a leading UK university and ranked among the top 100 in the world.
| Best ValueBest Value - learn more, save more! | |||
Ways to learn | Buy this course | Subscribe & save | Start learning today |
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| Choose the best way to learn for you! | $54/one-off payment | $244.99 for a whole year Automatically renews | Free |
| Fulfill your current learning need | Develop skills to further your career | Try this course - with limits | |
| Access to this course | tick | tick | Limited to 3 weeks |
| Access to 1,000+ courses | cross | tick | cross |
| Learn at your own pace | tick | tick | cross |
| Discuss your learning in comments | tick | tick | tick |
| Tests to check your learning | tick | tick | cross |
| Certificate when you're eligible | Printed and digital | Digital only | cross |
Cancel for free anytime |
Ways to learn
Choose the best way to learn for you!
Subscribe & save
$244.99 for a whole year
Automatically renews
Develop skills to further your career
- Access to this course
- Access to 1,000+ courses
- Learn at your own pace
- Discuss your learning in comments
- Tests to boost your learning
- Digital certificate when you're eligible
Cancel for free anytime
Buy this course
$54/one-off payment
Fulfill your current learning need
- Access to this course
- Learn at your own pace
- Discuss your learning in comments
- Tests to boost your learning
- Printed and digital certificate when you’re eligible
Start learning today
Free
Try this course - with limits
- Limited to 3 weeks
Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades) Sale price available until 2 November 2026 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply. | |||
Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)
Sale price available until 2 November 2026 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply.
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- Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
- Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores
Join a global classroom
- Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
- Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
- Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others
Map your progress
- As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
- Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
- Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate
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