Which statement correctly describes the percent liver damage for hepatitis and cirrhosis?

• A. Hepatitis: less than 80%; Cirrhosis: greater than 80%
• B. Hepatitis: greater than 80%; Cirrhosis: less than 80%
• C. Both are less than 50%
• D. Both are greater than 90%

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that liver damage progresses with disease severity. Hepatitis causes inflammation and some hepatocyte injury, but much of the liver tissue remains functional, so overall damage is typically under a high threshold. Cirrhosis, on the other hand, is end-stage scarring where healthy tissue is largely replaced by fibrous tissue and nodules, leading to a substantial loss of functional liver mass—usually described as more than 80% damaged. So the statement that hepatitis is less than 80% damaged and cirrhosis is greater than 80% best matches the expected difference in impact between these conditions. The other options imply either too much damage from hepatitis, too little from cirrhosis, or both being uniformly high, which doesn’t fit how these diseases affect liver tissue.