Cholesterol Molecule
Cholesterol is a lipidic, waxy steroid found in the cell membranes and transported in the blood plasma of all animals. It is an essential component of mammalian cell membranes where it is required to establish proper membrane permeability and fluidity. 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. Cholesterol is classified as a sterol (a portmanteau of steroid and alcohol). Since cholesterol is essential for life, it is primarily synthesized de novo within the body. However high levels in blood circulation, depending on how transported within lipoproteins, are strongly associated with progression of atherosclerosis. Cholesterol is required to build and maintain cell membranes; it regulates membrane fluidity over the range of physiological temperatures.
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