Cholestane

/koʊˈlɛsteɪn/ noun

Definition

A saturated hydrocarbon that serves as the parent structure for cholesterol and other sterols; the basic 27-carbon steroid skeleton.

Etymology

From 'chol-' (bile, cholesterol) + '-estane' (chemistry suffix for saturated hydrocarbons), creating a biochemical term for the core structure of cholesterol molecules.

Kelly Says

Cholestane is to cholesterol what a skeleton is to a body—it's the basic carbon framework that nature modifies to create cholesterol and hundreds of other crucial steroid hormones!

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