Recycling of that heme group yields unconjugated bilirubin, which at high concentration can cause scleral icterus, jaundice, and bilirubin gall stones.
And, since the liver usually conjugates bilirubin, there'll be increased unconjugated bilirubin in the blood from a less-functional liver and that can lead to jaundice.
Well the vast majority is conjugated, but there is a small amount of unconjugated bilirubin in bile, only about 1-2% of total bilirubin, which is only 1% of bile.
Since they're made partly of calcium, they'll usually be radiopaque, meaning you can see them on x-ray, here's an example showing pigmented gallstones on x-ray.
Although cirrhosis usually affects adults, even newborns can have complications like jaundice, or buildup of bilirubin in the blood, on account of poor excretion by the liver.
It manufactures blood proteins, destroys old erythrocytes and releases bilirubin, removes poisons (detoxificatien) from the blood, stores and releases glycogen needed by the body.
Frequently affected organs include the liver, where the bacterial toxins damage liver sinusoids and hepatocytes, causing bilirubin to spill into the bloodstream - which clinically translates as jaundice.
With extravascular hemolysis, we have macrophages eating up red blood cells more than normal and unconjugated bilirubin production is ramped up, which is conjugated by the liver and sent to the gallbladder.
And he was turning yellow and then orange with jaundice, with these high levels of bilirubin and just started to scratch and claw and was really, really miserable.