Question

Mrs. Fender's jaundice is caused by the accumulation of bilirubin in her blood and tissues. What is the normal fate of bilirubin, and what role does the liver play? Explain how Mrs. Fender's cirrhosis is related to her jaundice.

Answer 1

Answer:

Jaundice is a symptom of cirhosis which is related to the chronic liver disease

Explanation:

Bilirubin is produced in the body when the hemoglobin protein in old red blood cells is broken down. Erythrocytes continuously undergo a (breaking apart) process.  As the red blood cells disintegrate, the hemoglobin is degraded or broken into globin (the protein part), iron, and heme. The heme first breaks apart into biliverdin, a green pigment which is immediately reduced to bilirubin, an orange-yellow pigment. The bilirubin is then transported to the liver where it reacts with a solubilizing sugar called glucuronic acid. This more soluble form of bilirubin (conjugated) is excreted into the bile. The bile passes through the gall bladder then goes into the intestines where the bilirubin is converted into a variety of pigments.

Jaundice occurs when the diseased liver doesn't remove enough bilirubin, a blood waste product, from your blood. Cirrhosis, when in its late stages, can cause Jaundice. Cirrhosis occurs as a result of severe scarring of the liver caused by chronic liver disease. As a healthy liver tissue becomes damaged over time, it is replaced by scar tissue, which affects the structure of the liver and decreasing its ability to function.