The term ‘liver function tests’, used typically to describe the liver profile on a laboratory request form, is in fact a misnomer as several of the tests involved are not tests of liver function, but of hepatic enzyme release either as a result of induction or damage. This article will refer to liver profile tests except when specifically referring to liver function. As the body's hepatic reserve is considerable, liver function generally only begins to decline in the face of advanced or severe acute disease, and the liver profile is used to detect abnormalities that may indicate disease. They rarely diagnose the cause of the liver disease in question but can throw light on the category of disease, i.e. obstructive or hepatic.