Where is indirect bilirubin transported?

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Unconjugated (indirect) bilirubin is carried in the bloodstream bound to albumin because it isn’t water-soluble. It must be delivered to the liver, where hepatocytes take it up and conjugate it with glucuronic acid via UDP-glucuronosyltransferase. This conjugation converts it into direct (conjugated) bilirubin, which is water-soluble and can be excreted into bile and then reach the intestinal tract. The kidneys don’t filter unconjugated bilirubin, and the spleen or intestinal mucosa aren’t the sites where this initial transport and conjugation occur, making the liver the correct destination.