bile

Bile is a useful waste product of the body. It is secreted by the liver as the final product of the breakdown of the hemoglobin pigment of worn out red blood cells. It is useful in that it serves to allow the absorption of fats in the intestine into the bloodstream. It is bright green when secreted, but bacteria in the bowel break it down into compounds that are yellow to dark brown, depending on how long the bile stays in the intestine. Thus diarrhea - a condition where material moves through the system very rapidly - is characterised by green stools. Thus green stools don't really mean much at all, though they worry parents.

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