cholesterol

cho·les·ter·ol

noun \kə-ˈles-tə-ˌrōl, -ˌrȯl\

Definition of CHOLESTEROL

: a steroid alcohol C₂₇H₄₅OH that is present in animal cells and body fluids, regulates membrane fluidity, and functions as a precursor molecule in various metabolic pathways and as a constituent of LDL may cause atherosclerosis — compare bad cholesterol, good cholesterol

Examples of CHOLESTEROL

1. Did your doctor check your cholesterol?

Origin of CHOLESTEROL

International Scientific Vocabulary, from chol- + Greek stereos solid

First Known Use: 1894

Other Biochemistry Terms

bile, biodegradable, capsaicin, keratin, metabolism

Rhymes with CHOLESTEROL

Costa del Sol, hole-in-the-wall, Mariupol', medicine ball, Neanderthal, Sevastopol, total recall, Transalpine Gaul, Vincent de Paul

cho·les·ter·ol

noun \kə-ˈles-tə-ˌrōl, -ˌrȯl\   (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of CHOLESTEROL

: a steroid alcohol C₂₇H₄₅OH present in animal cells and body fluids that regulates membrane fluidity, functions as a precursor molecule in various metabolic pathways, and as a constituent of LDL may cause arteriosclerosis

Illustration of CHOLESTEROL

cholesterol

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Waxy organic compound found in blood and all animal tissues. It is a steroid, with molecular formula CHO, containing four rings in its structure. Cholesterol is essential to life; it is a primary component of cell membranes and a starting or intermediate material from which the body makes bile acids, other steroid hormones, and vitamin D. It is made in the liver and some other organs, in greater or lesser amounts depending on the amount recently consumed in the diet. It circulates in the blood in compounds called lipoproteins, since it is not water-soluble alone. Excess cholesterol in the blood forms deposits in arteries (see arteriosclerosis), which can lead to coronary heart disease. Michael Brown (born 1941) and Joseph Goldstein (born 1940) won a Nobel Prize in 1985 for their work in discovering this process. Since the body makes cholesterol from fats, blood cholesterol cannot be reduced by limiting only the amount of cholesterol in the diet; the amount of fat, especially saturated fat (see saturation, fatty acid) must also be reduced. See also triglyceride.