Here's what our liver looks like from the inside Its parenchyma (tissue) is pierced with blood vessels, because the main function of this organ is detoxification (blood purification). This purification is carried out by specialized liver cells - hepatocytes. They are shown in the animation as purple square cells. But what are the brown square cells next to them? These are also hepatocytes, but they have died. This happens most often in hepatitis, a group of inflammatory liver diseases. Hepatitis viruses and alcoholism are the most common causes.