Definition of cholesterol Cholesterol

/kʌlɛˈstɚɔˌl/ - [kulesterol] - cho•les•ter•ol

We found 5 definitions of cholesterol from 5 different sources.

What does cholesterol mean?

Noun Plural: cholesterols
cholesterol - an animal sterol that is normally synthesized by the liver; the most abundant steroid in animal tissues
		cholesterin
		steroid alcohol, sterol any of a group of natural steroid alcohols derived from plants or animals; they are waxy insoluble substances
		hdl cholesterol the cholesterol in high-density lipoproteins; the `good' cholesterol; a high level in the blood is thought to lower the risk of coronary artery disease

= synonym
= antonym
= related word

cholesterol (Noun)
A sterol lipid synthesized by the liver and transported in the bloodstream to the membranes of all animal cells; it plays a central role in many biochemical processes and, as a lipoprotein that coats the walls of blood vessel s, is associated with cardiovascular disease.

cholesterol
A lipid from the sterol family both made by the body and consumed in food products that come from animals.

Cholesterol is a molecule that is found in cells. It is a type of lipid which is a fat or fat-like molecule.Cholesterol is a soft waxy substance. Cholesterol is a special type of lipid that is called a steroid. Steroids are lipids that have a special chemical structure. This structure is made of four rings of carbon atoms. Cholesterol is found especially in animal fats.

Other steroids include hormone steroids like cortisol, estrogen, and testosterone. In fact, all steroid hormones are made from changing the basic chemical structure of cholesterol. When scientists talk about making one molecule from changing simpler ones, they sometimes call it "synthesis".

Hypercholesterolemia means that cholesterol level is too high in the blood.