biliverdin

American  

[bil-uh-vur-din] / ˌbɪl əˈvɜr dɪn /

noun

Biochemistry.

1. a dark-green bile pigment, C 33 H 34 O 6 N 4 , formed as a breakdown product of hemoglobin and converted in humans to bilirubin.

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biliverdin British  

/ ˌbɪlɪˈvɜːdɪn /

noun

1. a dark green pigment in the bile formed by the oxidation of bilirubin. Formula: C 33 H 34 O 6 N 4

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Etymology

Origin of biliverdin

< German Biliverdin (1840) < Latin bīli ( s ) bile + verd- green (as in French verdir to make green; see verdure) + -in -in ²

Example Sentences

Too much biliverdin in a human causes jaundice, but biliverdin is normally present in the blood of certain insects and fish, even though it does not transport oxygen.

From Scientific American • May 6, 2019

But these lizards thrive despite biliverdin levels many times greater than the lethal concentration in people.

From Reuters • May 16, 2018

Using chemical analyses, they were able to detect traces of two pigments, biliverdin and protoporphyrin, commonly found in modern bird eggs.

From National Geographic • Sep. 18, 2017

The non-iron portion of heme is degraded into the waste product biliverdin, a green pigment, and then into another waste product, bilirubin, a yellow pigment.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

Haematoporphyrin and biliverdin also occur in the egg-shells of certain birds, but in this case they are derived from haemoglobin.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 6 "Cockaigne" to "Columbus, Christopher" by Various