Page 111 - The Manga Guide to Biochemistry

Cholesterol is a type of steroid

Okay, before we get too off track, let's get back to cholesterol.

Yeah, that’s right! I’m pretty sure I understand lipids and fatty acids, but what exactly
is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is also a type of lipid, but it has the following form:

C H C C
C H3C C H
C
Three hexagons
CCC
HO
CC C
C
One pentagon

There is a C at
each corner.

The three hexagons and one pentagon combined, as shown in the above figure, are
called a steroidal skeleton, and a lipid that has this basic form is called a steroid.

Lipids
Neutral fat

• Neutral lipid
• Phospholipid
• Glycolipid
• Steroid

Well...I guess that means that steroids are a type of fat! Weird!

Biochemistry in Our Everyday Lives 97