Biliverdin

Definition

Biliverdin is a green pigment that is produced when heme from hemoglobin breaks down during the normal degradation of aged erythrocytes. It is subsequently converted to bilirubin in the liver.

Related terms

Erythrocytes:

Red blood cells that transport oxygen and carbon dioxide throughout the body.

Hemoglobin:

A 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.

Bilirubin:

A yellow compound that results from the breakdown of biliverdin and is processed by the liver to be excreted in bile