7-Dehydrocholesterol

High school (ages 12+)
Human Body

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/7-dehydrocholesterol

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?7-Dehydrocholesterol
2. What is the biochemical function?Provitamin-D3, precursor to Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol)
3. What is 7-Dehydrocholesterol and why is it important?It is a special molecule in our skin that helps turn sunlight into vitamin D, which keeps our bones strong.
4. How does 7-Dehydrocholesterol turn into vitamin D?When sunlight hits our skin, the 7‑DHC changes shape and becomes vitamin D3, which the body can use.

Zoosterol: A type of steroid compound found in animal tissues, such as cholesterol.
Provitamin: A substance that can be converted into a vitamin within the body.
Epidermis: The outermost layer of skin, where Vitamin D synthesis primarily occurs.
Cholecalciferol: The chemical name for Vitamin D3, produced from 7-DHC in the skin.