bilirubin
/bɪlɪˈɹuːbɪn/ noun
Forms bilirubins
- noun (biochemistry) A bile pigment that is a product of the breakdown of the heme portion of hemoglobin (which occurs within macrophages as they digest red blood cells), and which is responsible for the yellowish color seen in bruises. Extremely high levels of bilirubin may cause jaundice.
Synonyms
Etymology
From international scientific vocabulary, from German Bilirubin. By surface analysis, bili- + rub- + -in. The German word was naturalized into other languages as international scientific vocabulary (e.g., bilirubin, bilirubine, bilirubina).
Webster’s 1913
- noun A reddish yellow pigment present in human bile, and in that from carnivorous and herbivorous animals; the normal biliary pigment.
Etymology [L. bilis biel + ruber red.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “bilirubin”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details