Question

Bilirubin and biliverdin are found in
a. Blood
b. Bile
c. Pancreatic juice
d. Saliva

Answer 1

Hint: The bilirubin and biliverdin are orange and green pigments respectively. They are responsible for the brown color of the feces. They both are stored in the gallbladder. They play an important role in the digestion of lipids.

Complete answer:
The bile juice is secreted by the liver. It is continuously produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder. It consists of water, bile salts, bilirubin, fats and inorganic salts. The two main pigments of the bile juice are: bilirubin and biliverdin. The bilirubin is orange-yellow in color while the biliverdin is green in color. The brown or yellow color of the feces is due to the presence of these pigments.

• The most important function of the bile is the emulsification of the fats or it helps in the digestion of lipids in the small intestine. It also makes the food alkaline transported from the stomach. It also provides great surface area for the action of the enzyme pancreatic lipase.
• The blood helps in the transport of the nutrients in the body. It does not contain bile pigments in it.
• The pancreatic juice secreted from the pancreas does not contain bilirubin and biliverdin. It gets mixed in the duodenum.
• The saliva is secreted from the salivary glands in the mouth. It does not contain any type of pigments.
• From the above information we have found that bilirubin and biliverdin are found in the bile juice.

Hence, the correct answer is option (B).

Note: The adult human beings can produce about 400 – 800 ml of bile per day. The higher amount of bilirubin can cause jaundice in the new born babies. The eyes and skin appear yellow. It can be caused by the liver dysfunctions such as cirrhosis, liver cancer, autoimmune disorders, etc. The human body contains many types of pigments such as melanin, heme, carotenoids, etc.