What Is Bile?
Reviewed: Dr. Gromatzky
9. Excretion of Harmful Substances
One of the methods that the liver uses to eliminate certain compounds and toxins from the body is excretion through bile. These compounds may be produced internally, such as steroid hormones and calcium, or are sourced externally, such as drugs.
Some of these compounds are reabsorbed in the small intestine and are eventually eliminated by the kidney. One of the endogenous toxins eliminated through this method is bilirubin. This is an orange-yellow pigment that is produced as a result of the breaking down of hemoglobin. If a problem occurs in the excretion process of bilirubin, and the toxin is not cleared from the bloodstream, it can lead to yellow discoloration of the skin known as jaundice.
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