Final answer:
In the Jendrassik-Grof method, the quantitation of serum bilirubin concentration is obtained by measuring the green color of azobilirubin, which is formed when bilirubin reacts with a diazo reagent.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the Jendrassik-Grof method for the determination of serum bilirubin concentration, quantitation is obtained by measuring the green color of azobilirubin. During this assay, bilirubin reacts with a diazo reagent, resulting in the formation of this green-colored complex. Bilirubin is a bile pigment and a waste product formed from the breakdown of red blood cells. It becomes conjugated in the liver to allow for excretion in bile and eventual transformation into stercobilin by intestinal bacteria, which is then excreted in feces, giving them their characteristic brown color.
Jaundice, or icterus, is a condition characterized by the yellow coloration of tissues due to the excess of bile pigments like bilirubin. Excessive unconjugated bilirubin, which is not yet converted into its water-soluble form, is often the cause of jaundice, and different diseases can affect this process.
Conditions such as Gilbert's disease or Crigler-Najjar syndrome can lead to the accumulation of unconjugated bilirubin due to defects in the liver's ability to conjugate bilirubin or deficiencies in the enzyme UDP glucuronyl transferase, which is responsible for the conjugation process. Measuring bilirubin concentration in the blood can thus help diagnose and monitor these and other liver-related conditions.