Jaundice in human beings is the result of

Jaundice is a clinical condition characterized by the yellowing of the skin and eyes due to hyperbilirubinemia, which is the accumulation of bilirubin in the blood. Bilirubin is the end product of heme catabolism, primarily from the breakdown of red blood cells [t2]. Under normal physiological conditions, the liver takes up unconjugated bilirubin and conjugates it with glucuronic acid to make it water-soluble for excretion into the bile [t1][t3]. Jaundice occurs when this metabolic pathway is disrupted, such as through excessive production (hemolysis) or, more commonly, due to the 'incomplete metabolism' or impaired clearance of bilirubin by the liver [t2][t3]. This includes failures in hepatic uptake, conjugation, or excretion [t2]. While biliverdin is a precursor to bilirubin, it is rapidly converted; therefore, jaundice is specifically associated with the accumulation resulting from the incomplete processing or excretion of bilirubin [t2][t6].

Sources

1. [1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470290/
2. [2] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4821713/
3. [3] https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/bilirubin-metabolism