Knowledge Base

Cholesterol

Cholesterol is essential to life; it is a primary component of the cell membrane and it is the starting material or an intermediate compound from which the body synthesizes bile acids, steroid hormones, and vitamin D. Cholesterol circulates in the bloodstream and is synthesized by the liver and several other organs.
Cholesterol is insoluble in the blood; it must be attached to certain protein complexes called lipoproteins in order to be transported through the bloodstream (the best known are low-density and high-density lipoproteins: LDLs and HDLs).