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

Genetic evidence suggests that this trait evolved four separate times among these lizards, which led researchers to think that the biliverdin might help protect the skinks from malaria or other parasitic infections.

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