The liver is the organ that clears bilirubin from the body.
The Liver's Role in Bilirubin Clearance
The liver plays a crucial role in processing and eliminating bilirubin, a yellow pigment produced during the breakdown of red blood cells. This process involves several steps that ensure bilirubin is safely removed from the bloodstream.
Steps Involved in Bilirubin Clearance:
- Uptake: The liver removes unconjugated bilirubin, which is bound to albumin, from the plasma.
- Conjugation: Inside the liver cells (hepatocytes), bilirubin undergoes conjugation.
- Excretion: The conjugated bilirubin is then excreted into the bile, which eventually makes its way into the intestines for elimination.
In Detail:
When the bilirubin-albumin complex reaches the liver's sinusoidal circulation, these three distinct phases are recognized:
- Hepatocyte uptake: The liver cells take up the bilirubin.
- Conjugation: The bilirubin is chemically modified (conjugated) to make it more water-soluble.
- Excretion into bile: The conjugated bilirubin is then excreted into the bile ducts, ultimately leaving the body through feces.
