The predominant orange pigment of bile. It is the major metabolic breakdown product of heme, the prosthetic group of hemoglobin in red blood cells, and other chromoproteins such as myoglobin, cytochrome, and catalase. The breakdown of hemoglobin from the old red cells takes place at a rapid rate in the reticuloendothelial cells of the liver, spleen, and bone marrow. The steps in this breakdown process include denaturation and removal of the protein globin, oxidation and opening of the tetrapyrole ring, and the removal of iron to form the green pigment biliverdin, which is then reduced to bilirubin by the addition of hydrogen. The formed bilirubin is transported to the liver, probably bound to albumin, where it is conjugated into water-soluble mono- and diglucuronides and to a lesser extent with sulfate.