• Question: why is urine yellow or clear?

    Asked by kapayaewh to David, Helen, Ian, rhysphillips, Sarah on 21 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Rhys Phillips

      Rhys Phillips answered on 14 Jun 2011:

      OK, trying to remember my GCSE biology here… I think it’s that urine is essentially a mix of water and urea – urea which is a waste product from your body and is yellow. So the more water you drink, the paler your urine would be as it essentially waters the urea down.

    • Photo: Ian van der Linde

      Ian van der Linde answered on 15 Jun 2011:

      If your urine is very yellow, then it’s a sign that you should be drinking more water!

    • Photo: Helen Fletcher

      Helen Fletcher answered on 21 Jun 2011:

      Urine is yellow because it contains urochrome a pigment derived from the metabolism of bile. The colour varies with ratio of pigment to water the less there is the darker the urine.

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