Question

All of the following symptoms are found in jaundice except
(A) Disorder of hepatobiliary system
(B) Abnormal secretion of pancreatic and bile juice
(C) Bile duct obstruction
(D) Anaemia

Answer 1

Hint: Jaundice is caused by the build-up of bilirubin (yellow-orange pigment), as a result of which, the skin, the white of the eyes and the mucous membrane turns yellow in colour. The primary cause of jaundice is the inefficient processing of the red blood cells by the liver, which leads to accumulation of bilirubin pigment in the blood.

Complete Answer:
Jaundice, also called as icterus, is an indicating sign of underlying diseases such as liver dysfunctioning, disorder of the hepatobiliary system, bile duct obstruction, etc. It is due to the accumulation of bilirubin, due to which the skin, white of the eyes, and the mucous membrane turns yellow in colour.

Liver being the second largest organ is responsible for the secretion of bile. Bile contains pigments such as bilirubin and biliverdin. After the destruction of RBC, the haemoglobin molecule gets broken down into bilirubin and biliverdin pigment which is yellowish orange in colour. If the liver is not functioning efficiently in eliminating the bilirubin pigment it leads to jaundice.

Understanding the options one by one,
(A) Disorder of hepatobiliary system: If there is any error in the hepatobiliary system (gallbladder and liver functioning), bilirubin is not eliminated, leading to jaundice. This is not the correct answer.
(B) Abnormal secretion of pancreatic and bile juice: Jaundice is due to inefficient processing and secretion of bile juice. This is not the symptom of jaundice. Hence, this is the correct answer.
(C) Bile duct obstruction: Obstruction in bile duct can be due to gallbladder stones, which leads to accumulation of bilirubin pigment. This is not the correct answer.
(D) Anaemia: The production of bilirubin increases when there is excess breakdown of red blood cells, due to a condition called haemolytic anaemia. Hence, this is not the correct answer.

Therefore, Option (B) is correct.

Note: It is important to know that jaundice is mainly due to either over production of bilirubin or not eliminating adequate bilirubin from the body. Liver malfunctioning, in most of the cases leads to underproduction of bile juice and doesn’t lead to over secretion of bile juice and pancreatic juice. Underproduction of bile juice also leads to malabsorption of fats and proteins.