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stercobilinogen

stercobilinogen

9.9
A colorless substance made in the intestine when the body breaks down blood pigment that helps make poop brown
  • noun
  • /ˌstɜrkoʊˈbɪlɪnədʒən/
  • Specialized
: estercobilinógeno
  • The presence of stercobilinogen is essential for the brown color of feces.

Examples

  • Elevated levels of stercobilinogen in the urine can indicate liver dysfunction.

  • A deficiency in bile secretion may reduce the amount of stercobilinogen produced in the intestines.

  • The stercobilinogen test is crucial for proper diagnosis.

  • What is the role of stercobilinogen in digestion?

  • A deficiency in bile secretion may reduce the amount of stercobilinogen produced in the intestines.

  • Elevated levels of stercobilinogen in the urine can indicate liver dysfunction.

  • The presence of stercobilinogen is essential for the brown color of feces.

Synonyms

urobilinogen
vsstercobilinogen
  • Specialized
9.9

A colorless substance made in the intestine when bilirubin breaks down that passes out in feces or urine

is converted further in the intestine and then excreted rather than reabsorbed

Surface Forms

Morphology

stercobilinogen = stercobilin (opaque) = stercobilin + ogen

Although structurally formed from the biochemical base 'stercobilin' + the suffix '-ogen' (precursor), the term is highly technical and not predictable for average learners.

Etymology

Stercobilinogen comes from three parts: sterc- meaning 'feces', bili- meaning 'bile' (like the word bile), and -gen meaning 'to produce', so it literally means a substance 'produced from bile in the gut'. That's why it is linked to the brown color of feces and to the health of the liver and gut.