urochrome

pigment

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 14, 2026

Quick Summary

Urochrome is a yellow pigment that is primarily responsible for the normal yellowish color of urine. Urine itself is a liquid solution of metabolic wastes and other substances expelled from the body. Its composition varies based on an organism's water needs.12

In mammals, including humans, urine is formed in the kidneys. After blood plasma is filtered, useful components like water, amino acids, and glucose are reabsorbed into the bloodstream. The remaining concentrated solution contains waste materials such as urea, inorganic salts, creatinine, ammonia, and pigmented products from blood breakdown, with urochrome being the pigment that gives urine its characteristic color.2

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

renal system
Volume and composition
…clear yellow from the pigment urochrome, an end product of protein metabolism. There are also traces of other pigments: urobilin and uroerythrin. The colour may be influenced as well by vitamins, food dyes, beetroot, and certain drugs.
Read More
…clear yellow from the pigment urochrome, an end product of protein metabolism. There are also traces of other pigments: urobilin and uroerythrin. The colour may be influenced as well by vitamins, food dyes, beetroot, and certain drugs.
Read More