Bilicyanin

/ˌbaɪ.lɪˈsaɪ.ə.nɪn/ noun

Definition

A blue pigment or compound derived from bile, formed through oxidation or combination of bile components.

Etymology

From 'bili-' (bile) plus '-cyanin' (from Greek 'kyanos' meaning blue, a suffix used for blue pigments). This technical biochemical term emerged in the 19th century.

Kelly Says

Scientists study bilicyanin to understand how the body processes and colors bile—it's one of nature's ways of recycling broken-down blood cells into different colored compounds.

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