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Gordon, Dr. Jerry. "How Cholesterol Works." 01 April 2000. HowStuffWorks.com. <http://health.howstuffworks.com/cholesterol.htm> 09 May 2008.
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What is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like compound that belongs to a class of molecules called steroids. It's found in many foods, in your bloodstream and in all your body's cells. If you had a handful of cholesterol, it might feel like a soft, melted candle. Cholesterol is essential for:- Formation and maintenance of cell membranes (helps the cell to resist changes in temperature and protects and insulates nerve fibers)
- Formation of sex hormones (progesterone, testosterone, estradiol, cortisol)
- Production of bile salts, which help to digest food
- Conversion into vitamin D in the skin when exposed to sunlight.
The formation of cholesterol involves a series of complicated biochemical reactions that begin with the widespread 2-carbon molecule Acetyl CoA: Acetyl CoA (C2) --> mevalonate (C6) --> isopentenyl pyrophosphate (C5) --> squalene (C30) --> cholesterol (C27). Cholesterol is made primarily in your liver (about 1,000 milligrams a day), but it is also created by cells lining the small intestine and by individual cells in the body.
 Most of the body's cholesterol is manufactured in the liver. |
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Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this How Stuff Works article:
Gordon, Dr. Jerry. "How Cholesterol Works." 01 April 2000. HowStuffWorks.com. <http://health.howstuffworks.com/cholesterol.htm> 09 May 2008.
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Breathing That Sounds Abnormal Broad Nasal Bridge Bulging Fontanelles Bullae Chemosis Chest Pain Chills Clammy Skin Claw Foot Claw Hand Cloudy Cornea Clubbing Of The Fingers Or Toes Cold Intolerance Coloboma Of The Iris Comedones Confusion Constipation Contracture Deformity Coughing Coughing Up Blood Crying Excessively in Infants Cyst Decerebrate Posture Decorticate Posture Decreased Consciousness Decreased Urine Output Delayed Growth Delayed or Absent Tooth Formation Depression Diarrhea Difficulty with Urination Dizziness Drooling Drowsiness Dry Eyes Dry Hair Dry Skin Ear Discharge Earache Earlobe Creases Elbow Pain Epicanthal Folds Erection Problems Erosion Excessive Or Unwanted Hair In Women Excessive Thirst Excessive Urination Excessive Urination at Night Excessively Large Fontanelles Eye Burning, Itching and Discharge Eye Pain Eye Redness Eye Slant Eyelid Drooping Eyes That Bulge Face Pain Facial Paralysis Facial Swelling Fainting Fatigue Female Sexual Dysfunction Fever Finger Pain Fingers That Change Color Flank Pain Floating Stools Focal Neurological Deficits Foot Pain Foot, Leg, And Ankle Swelling Foul Smelling Stools Frequent Or Urgent Urination Frontal Bossing Gas (Flatulence) Gastrointestinal Bleeding Genital Sores (Female) Genital Sores (Male) Groin Lumps Groin Pain Gynecomastia Hair Loss Hallucinations Hand Or Foot Spasms Hand Tremors Headache Hearing Loss Heart Murmurs And Other Sounds Heart Palpitations Heartburn Heat Intolerance Heavy, Prolonged, or Irregular Mens... 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Point Tenderness Polydactyly Polyhydramnios Poor Feeding In Infants Preauricular Tag Or Pit Premenstrual Breast Tenderness and ... Prognathism Pupils That Are Different Sizes Purpura Pustules Rapid Shallow Breathing Rash in a Child Under 2 Years Rashes Rib Cage Pain Ridged Sutures Scales Scrotal Swelling Seizures Sensorineural Deafness Separated Sutures Shin Splints Short Philtrum Short Stature Shoulder Pain Simian Crease Skeletal Limb Abnormalities Skin Blushing/flushing Skin Discoloration Skin Lumps Skin Turgor Sleeping Difficulty Sneezing Snoring Sore Throat Spasticity Speech Impairment (adult) Splenomegaly Splinter Hemorrhages Strange Behavior Stress And Anxiety Striae Subcutaneous Emphysema Sunburn Sunken Fontanelles Supernumerary Nipples Swallowing Difficulty Swallowing Pain Or Burning Sweating Sweating Decrease Swelling Swollen Glands Swollen Gums Taste Impairment Telangiectasia Tenesmus Testicle Lump Testicle Pain Tinnitus Tongue Problems Tooth Discoloration Toothaches Ulcers Uncontrollable Eye Movements Uncontrollable Movement Uncontrolled Or Slow Movement Uncoordinated Movement Unpredictable Or Jerky Movement Urinary Incontinence Urine Discoloration Vaginal Bleeding Between Periods Vaginal Bleeding In Pregnancy Vaginal Discharge Vaginal Itching Vesicles Vision Problems Vomiting Blood Walking Abnormalities Watery Eyes Weak or Absent Pulse Weakness Webbing Of The Fingers Or Toes Weight Gain Weight Loss Wheezing White Spots in the Pupil Whitehead Widely Spaced Teeth Wrinkles Wrist Pain Yawning