Which organ filters blood coming from the digestive tract?

• A. Pancreas
• B. Spleen
• C. Thyroid
• D. Liver

Answer: (D)

Blood from the digestive tract travels to the liver first through the hepatic portal vein, so the liver acts as the first filter and processing center for nutrients and toxins absorbed from the gut. It metabolizes nutrients, detoxifies substances, and stores energy reserves, ensuring substances that reach the rest of the body are in balance. The liver’s role in filtering portal blood is what sets it apart from the other organs listed. The pancreas mainly aids digestion and hormone production, not filtering portal blood. The spleen flags old red blood cells and participates in immune filtration, not gut-derived blood. The thyroid processes hormones, not the blood from the digestive tract.