BALTIMORE — Ever wondered why urine is yellow? Thanks to researchers in Maryland, humans don’t know exactly why.
A team of scientists at the University of Maryland and the National Institutes of Health has solved the mystery, according to a study published in the Journal last week. Nature Microbiology.
The discovery is huge in the scientific community, researchers say, and their discovery will help them uncover other medical mysteries related to diseases.
Although UMD knows it, we hit the streets of Baltimore to hear your scientific theories.
“I feel like it depends on the amount of water, because the more water we drink, the easier it can be,” one passer-by told WJZ’s Nikki Zizaza.
“I believe the akun is yellow because it means you’re dehydrated,” said another. “Mine is not yellow, it is white, because I drink a lot of water.”
Study leader and UMD assistant professor Brantley Hall identified the enzyme bilirubin that gives urine its yellow color. It is associated with red blood cells, a biological process that has so far eluded the scientific community.
“Have you ever wondered why your urine is yellow? Think about the microbes in your gut,” she said. “We certainly stand on the shoulders of bravery. If some of these older scientists had the technology we have today, they probably would have.”
Hall said the discovery paves the way for new treatments for diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease and jaundice.
“One of the major findings of our study is that this gene is often absent in newborns,” he said.
Hall says the next step is human studies, especially in premature infants with severe jaundice.