Stercobilin

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Stercobilin

Stercobilin (pronounced: ster-co-bil-in) is a brown pigment found in feces. It is a byproduct of the breakdown of hemoglobin in red blood cells by bacteria in the intestine.

Etymology

The term "stercobilin" is derived from the Greek words "stercus" meaning "dung" and "bilis" meaning "bile".

Function

Stercobilin is responsible for the brown color of feces. It is produced in the liver as part of the process of breaking down hemoglobin from old red blood cells. The liver excretes it into the bile, which is then released into the intestine. Here, bacteria further break it down into stercobilin and other compounds. The stercobilin is then excreted in the feces.

Related Terms

  • Hemoglobin: The protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to the body's tissues and returns carbon dioxide from the tissues back to the lungs.
  • Bacteria: Microorganisms that live in the intestines and assist in digestion, among other functions.
  • Intestine: The part of the digestive tract where most of the absorption of nutrients occurs.
  • Liver: The organ that detoxifies harmful substances, stores vitamins and iron, and makes bile, among other functions.
  • Bile: A fluid produced by the liver that aids in digestion, particularly of fats.

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