bilirubin

[ bil-uh-roo-bin, bil-uh-roo-bin ]

nounBiochemistry.

a reddish bile pigment, C33H36O6N4, resulting from the degradation of heme by reticuloendothelial cells in the liver: a high level in the blood produces the yellow skin symptomatic of jaundice.

Origin of bilirubin

<German Bilirubin (1864), equivalent to Latin bīli(s) bile + rub(er) red + German -in-in²

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British Dictionary definitions for bilirubin

bilirubin

/ (ˌbɪlɪˈruːbɪn, ˌbaɪ-) /

noun

an orange-yellow pigment in the bile formed as a breakdown product of haemoglobin. Excess amounts in the blood produce the yellow appearance associated with jaundice. Formula: C 32 H 36 O 6 N 4

Origin of bilirubin

C19: from bile 1 + Latin ruber red + -in

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for bilirubin

bilirubin

[ bĭl′ĭ-rōō′bĭn ]

A reddish-yellow pigment that is a constituent of bile and gives it its color. Bilirubin is a porphyrin derived from the degradation of heme. It is often a constituent of gallstones, and also causes the skin discoloration seen in jaundice. Chemical formula: C33H36N4O6.

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