biliverdin

American

[bil-uh-vur-din] / ˌbɪl əˈvɜr dɪn /

noun

Biochemistry.

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.

biliverdin British

/ ˌbɪlɪˈvɜːdɪn /

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

biliverdin

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

At the site of an injury, biliverdin from damaged RBCs produces some of the dramatic colors associated with bruising.

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

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023