Question

If bile ducts are blocked?

A) more bilirubin appears in the plasma
B) bilirubin appears in the saliva
C) more hemolysis takes place
D) more red blood cells are produced
E) more white blood cells are produced

Answer 1

If bile ducts are blocked, more conjugated bilirubin appears in the plasma, leading to jaundice. This is caused by an obstruction to the excretion of bilirubin, which accumulates in the bloodstream.

Step-by-step explanation:

When bile ducts are blocked, this condition results in an increase in conjugated bilirubin in the plasma because the bile can no longer flow through the ducts to aid in its normal excretion pathway. Conjugated bilirubin, a byproduct of the breakdown of hemoglobin from old or damaged red blood cells, is usually excreted in the bile.

The liver processes these red blood cells, releasing bilirubin into the bile, which should then travel to the intestines before being excreted from the body. If this pathway is obstructed, for example by gallstones, the conjugated bilirubin will back up into the liver and enter the bloodstream, leading to hyperbilirubinemia. This condition can cause jaundice, a yellowing of the skin and eyes.

Answer 2

When bile ducts are blocked, more bilirubin appears in the plasma, as this obstruction prevents the excretion of conjugated bilirubin, causing it to regurgitate into the bloodstream.

Step-by-step explanation:

If the bile ducts are blocked, the correct answer is: A) more bilirubin appears in the plasma. When the biliary tree is obstructed, it leads to an inability of the hepatic or common bile ducts to excrete conjugated bile pigments. These pigments, specifically bilirubin, then regurgitate into the hepatic veins, and lymphatics, and eventually, appear increased in the blood and urine, causing a condition called choluric jaundice. Bilirubin is a bile pigment produced during the breakdown of hemoglobin in red blood cells.

Inside the liver, bilirubin combines with glucuronic acid, becoming water-soluble and ready for excretion. However, in the case of an obstruction, this conjugated bilirubin cannot be excreted into the intestine and instead builds up in the bloodstream, leading to hyperbilirubinemia and the symptomatology of jaundice.