The liver is composed of two functional lobes - left and right.

The left functional lobe includes all the anatomical lobes - the left, right, caudate, and quadrate lobes.
The right functional lobe is formed only by the remaining part of the right anatomical lobe.

Both functional lobes can be easily distinguished on the visceral surface of the liver, as they are separated by the inferior vena cava and the gallbladder. Therefore, the borderline between the right and left functional lobes goes over the fossae for the inferior vena cava and the gallbladder.

Note: The imaginary borderline between both functional lobes in abdominal surgery is known as the Cantlie’s line.

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Functional lobes