Medical Term:
cholesterol
Pronunciation: kō-les′ter-ol
Definition: 5-cholesten-3β-ol (cholestane with a 5,6 double bond and a 3β-hydroxyl group); the most abundant steroid in animal tissues, especially in bile and gallstones, and present in food, especially food rich in animal fats; circulates in the plasma complexed to proteins of various densities and plays an important role in the pathogenesis of atheroma formation in arteries; a precursor of steroid hormones.
See Also: lipoprotein
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Examples: glitazone, GI cocktail, etc.
