Bilirubin (BR) (adopted from German, originally bili, for bile, plus ruber, Latin for red) is a red-orange compound that occurs as the reduction product of biliverdin, a breakdown product of heme. It's further broken down in the colon to urobilinogen, most of which becomes stercobilin, causing the brown color of feces. Some unconverted urobilinogen, metabolised to urobilin, provides the straw-yellow color in urine.
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👉 Conjugated bilirubin in the context of Jaundice
Jaundice, also known as icterus, is a yellowish or, less frequently, greenish pigmentation of the skin and sclera due to high bilirubin levels. Jaundice in adults typically indicates the presence of underlying diseases involving abnormal heme metabolism, liver dysfunction, or biliary-tract obstruction. The prevalence of jaundice in adults is rare, while jaundice in babies is common, with an estimated 80% affected during their first week of life. The most commonly associated symptoms of jaundice are itchiness, pale feces, and dark urine.
Normal levels of bilirubin in blood are below 1.0 mg/dl (17 μmol/L), while levels over 2–3 mg/dl (34–51 μmol/L) typically result in jaundice. High blood bilirubin is divided into two types: unconjugated and conjugated bilirubin.
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Conjugated bilirubin in the context of Biliary tract
The biliary tract (also biliary tree or biliary system) refers to the liver, gallbladder and bile ducts, and how they work together to make, store and secrete bile. Bile consists of water, electrolytes, bile acids, cholesterol, phospholipids and conjugated bilirubin. Some components are synthesized by hepatocytes (liver cells); the rest are extracted from the blood by the liver.
Bile is secreted by the liver into small ducts that join to form the common hepatic duct. Between meals, secreted bile is stored in the gallbladder. During a meal, the bile is secreted into the duodenum (part of the small intestine) to rid the body of waste stored in the bile as well as aid in the absorption of dietary fats and oils.