bilirubin
/bɪlɪˈɹuːbɪn/ · noun
Meaning
- 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.
Etymology / origin
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).
- Bilirubin(German)→
- bilirubin (English)
- Relations: bor
Related words
Descendant words
- bilirubina(Polish) (bor)
Sources
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