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[[File:Jaundiced cat.jpg|thumb|right|Image of a jaundiced cat, note the discoloured pinnae<br><small>(Image source Sabar 2007, Wikimedia Commons)</small>]]
==Description==
==Description==
Bilirubin is a pigment formed from the haem groups of haemoglobin molecules. The enzymatic conversion occurs within cells of the monocyte-phagocyte system (MPS) when haemoglobin is released by the degradation of red blood cells. This '''unconjugated''' bilirubin is not water soluble and it is transported in plasma bound to albumin. It is taken up into hepatocytes where it is conjugated with glucuronic acid. The resultant '''conjugated''' bilirubin is water soluble and it is secreted into bile which then moves into the small intestine. Unconjugated bilirubin is sometimes referred to as direct, in contrast to unconjugated which can be referred to as indirect bilirubin.
Bilirubin is a pigment formed from the haem groups of haemoglobin molecules. The enzymatic conversion occurs within cells of the monocyte-phagocyte system (MPS) when haemoglobin is released by the degradation of red blood cells. This '''unconjugated''' bilirubin is not water soluble and it is transported in plasma bound to albumin. It is taken up into hepatocytes where it is conjugated with glucuronic acid. The resultant '''conjugated''' bilirubin is water soluble and it is secreted into bile which then moves into the small intestine. Unconjugated bilirubin is sometimes referred to as direct, in contrast to unconjugated which can be referred to as indirect bilirubin.