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Cholesterol facts for kids

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Cholesterol
Cholesterol
Cholesterol-3d.png
Chemical name 10,13-dimethyl-17-
(6-methylheptan-2-yl)-
2,3,4,7,8,9,11,12,14,15,16,17-
dodecahydro-1H-
cyclopenta[a]phenanthren-3-ol
Chemical formula C27H46O
Molecular mass 386.65 g/mol
CAS number [57-88-5]
Melting point 146-147 °C
Disclaimer and references

Cholesterol is a sterol (a combination steroid and alcohol), a lipid found in the cell membranes of all body tissues, and is transported in the blood plasma of all animals. Trace amounts of cholesterol are also found in plant membranes.

The name originates from the Greek chole- (bile) and stereos (solid), and the chemical suffix -ol for an alcohol, as researchers first identified cholesterol in solid form in gallstones in 1784.

Most of the cholesterol is synthesized by the body and some has dietary origin. Although formerly believed, the cholesterol level in blood is not raised by increasing the amount of cholesterol in the diet. Cholesterol is more abundant in tissues which either synthesize more or have more abundant densely-packed membranes.

Cholesterol is insoluble in blood, but is transported in the circulatory system bound to one of the varieties of lipoprotein, spherical particles which have an exterior composed mainly of water-soluble proteins.

In recent years, the somewhat imprecise term "bad cholesterol" has been used to refer to LDL (low-density lipoprotein) which, according to the lipid hypothesis, is thought to have harmful actions, and "good cholesterol" to refer to HDL (high-density lipoprotein), thought to have beneficial actions.

Food sources

Cholesterol is found in animal fats: all food containing animal fats contains cholesterol; food not containing animal fats contains no cholesterol or negligible amounts. Major dietary sources of cholesterol include eggs, beef and poultry.

Plants have trace amounts of cholesterol, so even a vegan diet, which includes no animal foods, has traces of cholesterol. However, the amounts are very small. For example, the amount of cholesterol in one egg is approximately equal to the amount in 9.6 litres (19.57 pounds) of pure peanut oil.

Images for kids

  • Enzyme translocation

    Substrate presentation; PLD (blue oval) is sequestered into cholesterol-dependent lipid domains (green lipids) by palmitoylation. PLD also binds PIP2(red hexagon) domains (grey shading) located in the disordered region of the cell with phosphatidylcholine (PC). When cholesterol decreases or PIP2 increases in the cell, PLD translocates to PIP2 where it is exposed to and hydrolizes PC to phosphatidic acid (red spherical lipid).

  • Condensation of Acetyl-CoA to HMG-CoA

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  • Melavonic Acid Synthesis

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  • Melavonate pathway to IPP

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  • Cation formation from DMAPP

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  • Squalene Synthesis

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  • Squalene Synthesis 2

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  • Flavinoid Mechanism

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  • Oxidosqualene

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  • Lanosterol formation

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  • Cholesterol Synthesis 19 step

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  • Cholesterol Synthesis 12

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  • MetabolismoLipidiE

    Lipid logistics: transport of triglycerides and cholesterol in organisms in form of lipoproteins as chylomicrons, VLDL, LDL, IDL, HDL.

  • ColesterolemiaMortalitaE

    Cholesterolemia and mortality for men and women 60 years

  • Blood values sorted by mass and molar concentration

    Reference ranges for blood tests, showing usual, as well as optimal, levels of HDL, LDL, and total cholesterol in mass and molar concentrations, is found in orange color at right, that is, among the blood constituents with the highest concentration.

  • ConversColest

    Cholesterol units conversion

  • Cholesterol Spacefill

    Space-filling model of the Cholesterol molecule

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