Wikipedia
Cholesterol
| ChemSpiderID 5775
| PubChem5997
| SMILESCC(C)CCCC(C)C1CCC2C1 (CCC3C2CCC4C3(CCC(C4)O)C)C
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| Section2
| Density 1.052 g/cm3
| MeltingPt148–150 °CMSDS/>
| BoilingPt360 °C (decomposes)
| Solubility0.095 mg/L (30 °C)
| SolubleOther soluble in acetone, benzene, chloroform, ethanol, ether, hexane, isopropyl myristate, methanol
}}
| Section7
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Cholesterol is a lipidic, waxy steroid found in the cell membranes and transported in the blood plasma of all animals."Cholesterol"> It is an essential component of mammalian cell membranes, where it is required to establish proper membrane permeability and fluidity. In addition, cholesterol is an important precursor molecule for the biosynthesis of bile acids, steroid hormones, and several fat-soluble vitamins. Cholesterol is the principal sterol synthesized by animals, but small quantities are synthesized in other eukaryotes, such as plants and fungi. It is almost completely absent among prokaryotes, which include bacteria."pmid14660793">
The name cholesterol originates from the Greek chole- (bile) and stereos (solid), and the chemical suffix -ol for an alcohol, as François Poulletier de la Salle first identified cholesterol in solid form in gallstones, in 1769. However, it was only in 1815 that chemist Eugène Chevreul named the compound "cholesterine"."pmid9478044">
Physiology
Overview
Since cholesterol is essential for all animal life, it is primarily synthesized from simpler substances within the body. However, high levels in blood circulation, depending on how it is transported within lipoproteins, are strongly associated with progression of atherosclerosis. For a person of about 68 kg (150 pounds), typical total body cholesterol synthesis is about 1 g (1,000 mg) per day, and total body content is about 35 g. Typical daily additional dietary intake, in the United States and societies with similar dietary patterns, is 200–300&n read more at » http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cholesterol