Bilirubin, Total Unit Converter

Total bilirubin is a yellow-orange pigment produced when your body breaks down old red blood cells. It measures the combined amount of two forms: unconjugated (indirect) bilirubin, which hasn't yet been processed by the liver, and conjugated (direct) bilirubin, which has been processed and made water-soluble.

About 80% of bilirubin comes from the breakdown of hemoglobin in aging red blood cells. The remaining 20% comes from other heme-containing proteins in the liver and muscles, such as myoglobin and cytochromes.

The liver processes bilirubin and excretes it into bile, which then passes through the intestines and is eliminated in stool. Bilirubin gives stool its characteristic brown color. A small amount is also excreted in urine.

Bilirubin is produced in the reticuloendothelial system, primarily in the spleen, liver (Kupffer cells), and bone marrow, when old or damaged red blood cells are broken down. The liver then processes and excretes it into bile.