Cholesterol is a structural component of cell membranes and serves as a building block for synthesizing various steroid hormones, vitamin D, and bile acids. Besides their structural role providing stability and fluidity, cholesterol also plays a crucial role in regulating cell function.
Cholesterol is a 27 carbon compound with a unique structure with a hydrocarbon tail, a central sterol nucleus made of four hydrocarbon rings, and a hydroxyl group. The center sterol nucleus or ring is a feature of all steroid hormones. The hydrocarbon tail and the central ring are non-polar and therefore do not mix with water. Therefore cholesterol (lipid) is packaged together with apoproteins (protein) in order to be carried through the blood circulation as a lipoprotein.
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