Imaging Liver Development/Remodeling in the See-Through Medaka Fish

Introduction One major function of the livers of fishes, essential for life, is the metabolism of xenobiotics, rendering lipophilic compounds water soluble and more easily excreted. This function is in turn linked to the formation and excretion of bile. Linked hepatocytic and biliary epithelial function in fishes involves hepatic tubules [1-3]. In these, hepatocytes are clustered about an axis of the biliary system. This pattern is analogous to that of an exocrine gland and is the adult phenotype for amphibians, birds, reptiles, and fishes [3].