Sterol

Sterol is an organic compound with formula C
17H
28O, whose molecule is derived from that of gonane by replacement of a hydrogen atom on C3 position by a hydroxyl group. It is therefore an alcohol of gonane. More generally, any compounds that contain the gonane structure, additional functional groups, and/or modified ring systems derived from gonane are called steroids. Therefore, sterols are a subgroup of the steroids. They occur naturally in most eukaryotes, including plants, animals, and fungi, and can also be produced by some bacteria (however likely with different functions). The most familiar type of animal sterol is cholesterol, which is vital to cell membrane structure, and functions as a precursor to fat-soluble vitamins and steroid hormones.

Sterol
Names
IUPAC name
2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17-hexadecahydro-1H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthren-3-ol
Other names
Hexadecahydro-3H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthrene-3-ol
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
ChemSpider
KEGG
  • InChI=1S/C17H28O/c18-13-6-9-15-12(10-13)5-8-16-14-3-1-2-11(14)4-7-17(15)16/h11-18H,1-10H2
    Key: FPXSXMFOYWRHDX-UHFFFAOYSA-N
  • C1CC2CCC3C4CCC(CC4CCC3C2C1)O
Properties
C17H28O
Molar mass 248.410 g·mol−1
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
Infobox references

While technically alcohols, sterols are classified by biochemists as lipids (fats in the broader sense of the term).

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