Oh mighty powerhouse and largest gland Snug in the abdominal cavity Though few thy function fully understand Should praise thee with the utmost gravity Three pounds thy weight, but worth thy weight in gold Four precious lobes through portal fissure fed Tiny lobules in hexagonal mould Each one formed by cuboidal cells widespread Arranged in columns round a central aisle Converting glucose into glycogen Form plasma proteins and essential bile, A, D,Β Β prothrombin and fibrinogen De-aminates the protein that we eat De-saturates the fat, produces heat
Sonnet of physiological praise to an important *****. Shakespearean form with a globule of satire. First published in THE MOZZIE Volume 14, Issue 5, June 2006 & thereafter in the Medical Journal of Australia.