QLexNursing

📌The liver is the primary organ responsible for destroying old or damaged red blood cells through a process involving Kupffer cells, which act as specialized macrophages within the liver.

📌It also plays a major role in detoxification, removing harmful substances such as medications, alcohol, metabolic byproducts, and environmental toxins from the bloodstream.

📌The liver converts toxic ammonia into urea, which is safely excreted by the kidneys, demonstrating its essential role in chemical cleansing.

📌Additionally, the liver breaks down hemoglobin from old red blood cells and produces bilirubin, which is then excreted in bile.

📌Because the liver is the central site for both cell destruction and toxin processing, it is the correct answer.

Pancreas

📌The pancreas does not destroy old red blood cells nor detoxify harmful substances; its main functions are endocrine (insulin and glucagon secretion) and exocrine (digestive enzyme production).

📌It plays a vital role in glucose regulation but has no macrophage activity linked to blood cell destruction.

📌The pancreas focuses on digestion by releasing amylase, lipase, and proteases, not detoxification.

📌 It does not filter blood or remove chemical toxins the way the liver does.

📌Therefore, this organ is not associated with the destruction of old blood cells or toxin removal.

Gallbladder

📌The gallbladder primarily stores and concentrates bile, but it does not manufacture, detoxify, or destroy cellular components.

📌Any processes involving old red blood cell breakdown occur in the liver and spleen, not the gallbladder.

📌This organ has no detoxifying enzymes and does not filter blood.

📌Its function is strictly related to digestion of fats by releasing bile into the small intestine.

📌Thus, it is not involved in eliminating toxins or damaged blood cells.

Small intestines

📌The small intestines are responsible for nutrient absorption, not detoxification or red blood cell destruction.

📌They help break down foods and transport nutrients but do not contain structures designed for cell breakdown.

📌Toxin elimination is the role of the liver and kidneys, not the intestines.

📌 While the intestines help remove some waste through stool, this is part of the digestive and elimination system, not detoxification at the cellular level.

📌Therefore, the small intestines do not perform the function described.