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At the end of this section, you should be able to:
Describe the structures and properties of steroids, and explain how these are related to the roles of cholesterol in living organisms
🕐Estimated time for this section: 10 minutes
Steroids
Steroids
Watch this video for a lecture explanation of steroids (consistent with your notes).
💡Structure of steroids
💡Structure of steroids
All steroids have a common '4 fused ring structure' (shaded in yellow in the picture below).
Different steroids may have different chemical groups attached to this 4 fused ring structure.
💡Properties of cholesterol
💡Properties of cholesterol
Cholesterol is considered amphipathic as it contains:
hydrophilic hydroxyl group (-OH)
hydrophobic hydrocarbon rings
Watch the following video from 3:16 - 4:29 to get an overview of the structure and properties of steroids.
💡Functions of Cholesterol
💡Functions of Cholesterol
As cholesterol are amphipathic, they are able to inserted in-between phospholipids in the phospholipid bilayer and play a key role in acting as a 'buffer' to regulate he fluidity of the membrane.
Watch the video from 2:18 - 4:14.
Cholesterol also play a role as an important substrate/precursor for the synthesis of other steroid hormones like testosterone, progesterone, and also vitamin D.
📖Further readings (optional)!
📖Further readings (optional)!
Why is elevated blood cholesterol bad for our health? Read this article to learn more about how cholesterol levels are measured and the risks associated with elevated levels of blood cholesterol.
🖊️Check Your Understanding
🖊️Check Your Understanding
Attempt qns 15-17 in this SLS lesson.
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