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Glite Dictionary
urobilin

urobilin

9.9
A brown substance that gives feces their colour and is present in small amounts in urine
  • noun
  • /ˌjʊəroʊˈbaɪlɪn/
  • Specialized
: urobilina
  • The characteristic color of feces is partly due to the presence of urobilin.

Examples

  • High levels of urobilin in the urine may indicate certain liver conditions.

  • Doctors can measure urobilin to assess liver function.

  • Laboratory tests revealed reduced urobilin in the patient's urine sample.

  • The urobilin levels in his urine were normal.

  • The characteristic color of feces is partly due to the presence of urobilin.

  • High levels of urobilin in the urine may indicate certain liver conditions.

  • Laboratory tests revealed reduced urobilin in the patient's urine sample.

Surface Forms

urobilin singular
urobilins plural

Morphology

urobilin = bilin (opaque) = uro + bilin

The prefix 'uro-' refers to urine, but 'bilin' is not a standalone English word, making the connection to 'urobilin' opaque for learners.

Etymology

Urobilin comes from the parts uro- meaning 'urine' and bile meaning 'bile', the dark fluid from the liver. So urobilin is a brown substance made when bile breaks down, which helps explain why it gives feces their brown colour and shows up in small amounts in urine.