Ergosterol

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

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/ergosterol

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 formula?C28H44O
2. What is the primary biological role?Structural component of fungal and protozoal cell membranes
3. Why do fungi need ergosterol?It keeps their membranes stable, helps them grow, divide, and handle stress. Without it, the membranes become unstable and the fungi die.
4. How can ergosterol become vitamin D2?When exposed to UV light, ergosterol changes shape and turns into a precursor that quickly becomes vitamin D2, a nutrient important for bone health.

Sterol: A type of lipid with a characteristic four-ring structure, important in cell membranes.
Provitamin: A substance that can be converted into a vitamin within a living organism.
Lipid Bilayer: The fundamental structure of cell membranes, composed of two layers of lipid molecules.