Definition of Jaundice? Jaundice is the medical term used for the yellowing of your skin and the whites of your eyes. Although it is not a disease in itself, it may be an indication of an underlying medical condition. Your skin tends to turn yellow when the level of bilirubin in your blood exceeds 2.5-3 mg/dL. In adults, jaundice can be a result of a life-threatening condition that may need to be evaluated, whereas, in infants, it is often a benign condition that improves without much side effects. However, in some cases, jaundice can cause brain damage and even death in infants. REASON/ BEHIND JAUNDICE Normally, large amounts of blood flow each minute through the liver, which may be thought of as the body's chemical processing plant. The liver breaks down old, inefficient red blood cells in a process called hemolysis . This releases large amounts of bilirubin. The liver also manufactures the other components of bile. Bile is a greenish-yellow flu...