Is cholesterol a lipid, protein, or carbohydrate?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking to classify cholesterol into one of the three biological categories: lipid, protein, or carbohydrate. Cholesterol is a type of lipid, so the answer will focus on explaining its classification.
Answer
Lipid
Cholesterol is a lipid.
Answer for screen readers
Cholesterol is a lipid.
More Information
Cholesterol is an unsaturated type of lipid and is a crucial precursor for steroid hormones and bile acids.
Tips
A common mistake is confusing cholesterol with lipoproteins. Lipoproteins are complexes that include cholesterol plus proteins, but cholesterol itself is purely a lipid.
Sources
- What is cholesterol? | What are lipids? - Heart UK - heartuk.org.uk
- Fats and Other Lipids - Diet and Health - NCBI Bookshelf - ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Cholesterol - The Nutrition Source - nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu
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