The Importance Of Cholesterol

The plasma membranes are made up of proteins that form pores and channels, cholesterol to provide membrane stability and carbohydrate molecules for cell recognition. The most abundant component found in the plasma membrane is the phospholipid, which is bilayer. The plasma membrane is amphipathic

The lipids found in cell membranes belong to a class known as triglycerides, so called because they have one molecule of glycerol chemically linked to three molecules of fatty acids. The majority belong to one subgroup of triglycerides known as phospholipids. The cell membrane is made up of a phospholipid bilayer. The hydrophobic tails of the detergent molecules are taken up by this bilayer.

Introduction: The biological membranes are composed of phospholipid bilayers, each phospholipid with hydrophilic heads and hydrophobic tails, and proteins. This arrangement of the proteins and lipids produces a selectively permeable membrane. Many kinds of molecules surround or are contained within

(a.) Lipids are the foundation of membranes. They are carbon-containing compounds that are found in organisms and are largely nonpolar and hydrophobic.

The lipids found in the membrane are known as phospholipids. Phospholipids are fat derivatives in which one fatty acid has been replaced by a phosphate group and one of several nitrogen-containing molecules. The phospholipids’ structure is such that it appears to have a ‘head’ attached to a ‘tail’. The head section of the lipid is made of a glycerol group which is then attached to an ionised

Cholesterol is a waxy lipid found in all body cells; it has a structure containing multiple chemical rings and is found only in foods of animal origin.

Cholesterol functions in the body as an energy source, and furnishes molecular components for the synthesis of various sex hormones.

The cell membrane consists of eight distinctive parts that each have their own unique structure and function. The phospholipid bilayer is an integral part of the cell membrane because it is the external layer of the cell membrane and composes the barriers that isolate the internal cell components and organelles from the extracellular environment. It is composed of a series of phospholipids that have a hydrophobic region and a hydrophilic region. These regions are composed of the hydrophilic heads and the hydrophobic tails of the phospholipids, this organization of the polar heads and nonpolar tails allows the heads of the cell to form hydrogen bonds with water molecules while the tails are able to avoid water. The phospholipid bilayer also has many important functions within the cell, it gives the cell shape, provides protection, and it is selectively permeable which allows it to only let very specific molecules pass through its surface. The phospholipid bilayer is an important structure because it prevents harmful and unwanted molecules from entering the cell and isolates organelles which helps to maintain the internal environmental homeostasis of the cell.

High cholesterol is one of the most common diseases that occur in today's society. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 71 million American adults have high LDL "bad" cholesterol. When cholesterol levels are normal, they normally do not harm the body since cholesterol can be beneficial to the body. However, if excess amounts of cholesterol are in the body, it can become a threat. "Cholesterol is a waxy substance that plays an important role in building cell membranes and sex hormones" (Overview). The certain types of food you consume on a daily basis may affect the cholesterol levels in your blood. There are two types of cholesterol, which is your HDL (high density lipoprotein), "good", cholesterol, and your LDL (low density lipoprotein), which are the "bad" cholesterol. It is critical that an individual maintains his or her cholesterol levels because he or she can increase their risk of cardiovascular disease. LDLs are known to carry cholesterol into your arteries and clog them, which can cause strokes and heart attacks. On the other hand, HDL, help eliminate cholesterol from the arterial vessels and transport it to the liver, which is then defecated with body waste. According to Sroda, an individual's total cholesterol should be less than 200, LDL levels should be less than 130,

Our body naturally produces cholesterol through the liver, we can also obtain cholesterol from consumed products. We need small amounts of cholesterol to produce hormones, bile, and vitamin D. Cholesterol doesn’t dissolve in the bloodstream once it is inside the body. It needs to be carried by two types of lipoproteins called low density lipoproteins(LDL) and high density lipoproteins(HDL). The more cholesterol we consume, the more LDL and HDL we produce. HDL is

Introduction: Cell membranes contain many different types of molecules which have different roles in the overall structure of the membrane. Phospholipids form a bilayer, which is the basic structure of the membrane. Their non-polar tails form a barrier to most water soluble substances. Membrane proteins serves as channels for transport of metabolites, some act as enzymes or carriers, while some are receptors. Lastly carbohydrate molecules of the membrane are relatively short-chain polysaccharides, which has multiple functions, for example, cell-cell recognition and acting as receptor sites for chemical signals.

Sterols, are also known as steroid alcohols, are a class of chemicals that play multiple important roles in the body. They can dissolve in fat like molecules and can dissolve in water. The most widely known human sterol is cholesterol. (Timberlake, 2008).

Chylomicrons carry dietary fat from the intestine to the circulation. They deliver triglycerides to peripheral tissues. The resulting cholesterol-rich chylomicron remnant is taken up by the liver. The liver also synthesizes fatty acids from glucose in times of dietary excess, and then these are stored as triglycerides. Fatty acids that are not converted to triglycerides or used in the synthesis of other molecules are oxidized to ketone bodies in the mitochondria or in the peroxisomes. Microvesicular steatosis in hepatocytes is a sign of mitochondrial or peroxisomal disease or drug

The endothelial cells of the BBB are surrounded by a phospholipid bilayer that is only permeable to very small and/or lipid soluble molecules. Lipid soluble

The erythrocyte cell membrane comprises a typical lipid bilayer, similar to what can be found in virtually all human cells. Simply put, this lipid bilayer is composed of cholesterol andphospholipids in equal proportions by weight. The lipid composition is important as it defines many physical properties such as membrane permeability and fluidity. Additionally, the activity of many membrane proteins is regulated by interactions with lipids in the bilayer.