Cholesterol

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/cholesterol

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 chemical structure?A tetracyclic steroid alcohol with the chemical formula C27H46O
2. What is the primary site of synthesis?Hepatocytes in the liver are the primary site of endogenous cholesterol synthesis
3. What is cholesterol and why does it matter in our bodies?Cholesterol is a waxy substance that helps build the walls of our cells. It also helps make important hormones, vitamin D, and the bile that digests fat. Without it, our brains and nerves wouldn't work right.
4. Why do doctors say some cholesterol is bad and some is good?Cholesterol travels in two kinds of carriers. Low‑density lipoprotein (LDL) can build plaque in arteries when too high, so it’s called "bad." High‑density lipoprotein (HDL) takes extra cholesterol back to the liver, so it’s called "good."

Sterol: A class of organic compounds that are steroids and include cholesterol.
Atherogenesis: The process by which fatty deposits called plaque build up in arteries.
Mevalonate Pathway: The metabolic pathway responsible for the production of cholesterol and other isoprenoids.