stercobilinogen
- noun
- /ˌstɜrkoʊˈbɪlɪnədʒən/
- Specialized
- 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
A colorless substance made in the intestine when bilirubin breaks down that passes out in feces or urine
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.