Finally the world's greatest mystery is solved!

Ok, maybeeeeeeeeeeee slightly click bait title 😂

So apparently we finally know why...urine is bright yellow. Lmao.

I was actually surprised to learn today that the exact mechanics behind the color of urine had yet to be explained!

First, let's start with what we already knew.. that the yellow color of urin originates from...red blood cells. Red cells have a life span of about 120 days, and when their cycle comes to an end they are broken down by the liver. One of the byproducts when they are broken down is bilirubin, which is then transferred to the gut where bacteria turn it into a color less substance called urobilinogen which then further degrades into urobilin. This is the yellow pigment that gives urine its distinctive color:

Urobilin or urochrome is the chemical primarily responsible for the yellow color of urine. It is a linear tetrapyrrole compound that, along with the related colorless compound urobilinogen, are degradation products of the cyclic tetrapyrrole heme. source

However, till today the nature of the bacterial enzyme responsible for converting bilirubin to urobilinogen remained a mystery.

However, thanks to a new study by researchers at the University of Maryland and National Institutes of Health we now know it's thanks to an enzyme called bilirubin reductase, encoded by gut microbes, mostly the Firmicutes.

Honestly, the whole paper is a bit too mumbo jumbo for me, which makes sense since I am a total retard.

I am just surprised that we still have unanswered questions about everyday biological stuff like this one. A sentiment also shared by the researchers behind the paper:

This enzyme discovery finally unravels the mystery behind urine’s yellow colorc. It’s remarkable that an everyday biological phenomenon went unexplained for so long, and our team is excited to be able to explain it.” said the study’s lead author Brantley Hall, an assistant professor in the University of Maryland’s Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics.

The scientists also discovered that bilirubin reductase is often missing in newborns and individuals with inflammatory bowel disease, which may explain cases of infant jaundice and the formation of pigmented gallstones. Hence, may have implications in the treatment of those.

Anyways... Tldr, we now have a much better understanding of why urine is yellow. Hooray ! 😄

Feel free to click here to read the paper, or here for the dumbed down press release that has a bit more info on the matter.

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Ah, almost forgot! Post needs a thumbnail pic. I guess a urine sample will do!

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