bilirubin Archives - Healthhype

Bilirubin Levels (High and Low), Blood Test in Adults, Infants

Dr. Chris — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 13:36:34 +0000

What is Bilirubin? Bilirubin is a byproduct of red blood cell destruction and are conjugated in the liver and excreted in bile. It is the main pigment which is responsible for the color of bile, feces and urine. If the bilirubin in the blood is too high (hyperbilirubinemia), it leads to jaundice or icterus, which is the yellowish discoloration of the skin, sclera, lining of the mouth and other tissues. Unconjugated Bilirubin Bilirubin in the Blood Red blood cells (RBC’s or erythrocytes) are an important component of blood which carry oxygen to cells in the body. These blood cells are destroyed when they become fragile or reach the end of their lifespan which is approximately 120 days. New cells are produced by the bone marrow and replenish the RBC’s in the blood. When an RBC bursts, it releases hemoblogin into the blood. This is quickly consumed by macrophages, particularly those in the liver (Kupffer cells), spleen and bone marrow. The hemoglobin is further broken down into iron and porphyrin by the macrophages. The iron is released into the blood and stored in the liver as ferritin or used by the bone marrow to produce new red blood cells. The porphyrin [...]

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Jaundice (Yellow Color) Types, Causes, Newborn Baby Icterus

Dr. Chris — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 19:07:55 +0000

What is Jaundice? Jaundice is the medical term for yellow discoloration of the skin, sclera (whites of the eye) and deeper tissues like the mucus membrane of the mouth usually as a result of high levels of bilirubin in the blood. The word ‘jaundice’ essentially means yellow color (Latin ~ glabinus, French ~ jaunisse). It is commonly referred to as yellow jaundice but this makes the term redundant (yellow yellow). The term icterus is often used concurrently with jaundice, however, icterus indicates a yellow discoloration of the sclera of the eye. Causes of Jaundice Formation of Bilirubin The body is constantly breaking down old red blood cells (RBC’s/erythrocytes) when these cells reach the end of its lifespan in the circulation (approximately 120 days) or become damaged. The RBC’s are renewed by the maturation of hematopoietic stem cells found in tissue like the bone marrow. The RBC’s rupture and hemoglobin is consumed by macrophages (phagocytosis). The hemoglobin is then split into heme and globin. Heme is further broken down into iron and another molecule known as tetrapyrrole which is formed into biliverdin. From this biliverdin, free bilirubin (unconjugated bilirubin) is made and it circulates in the blood stream. Bilirubin Metabolism The [...]

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Yellow Bowel Movement and Causes of Yellow Diarrhea

Jan Modric — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 16:32:58 +0000

The color of the normal bowel movement is any shade of brown (ranging from a light bown or tan to darker brown hue). When stool appears a very light brown to yellow brown or even overtly yellow then it needs to be assessed further. Yellow stool does not always indicate a problem. Sometimes consuming foods and beverages with a strong yellow color/dye can taint the stool a yellow color if the dye is not digested or altered as it moves through the bowel. The characteristic brown color of stool is largely due to red blood cell breakdown in the body and the activity of the liver. When red blood cells are broken down, as part of the normal life cycle of these cells, the pigments within it are processed by the liver yielding a substance known as bilirubin. It has a characteristic yellow color but is converted to a brown color within the bowel. Without this contribution, stool may be a range of different colors depending on the food that was last consumed and may be significantly paler or even whitish in color without the contribution of the liver. The other contributor to this brown color is the bacteria that naturally reside [...]

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