Chapter 23, Problem 5RAT

To determine

The correct option for the statement “Why do most steroids have chemical structures very similar to cholesterol?”

Answer to Problem 5RAT

The correct option for the statement “Why do most steroids have chemical structures very similar to cholesterol?” is option (c).

Explanation of Solution

The lipid functions obtained from plants and animals contain another important group of compounds known as steroids. They are important biological regulator that nearly always show dramatic physiological effects when they are administered to living organisms.

The most widely occurring steroids are named as cholesterol. It can be isolated by the extraction of nearly all animal tissues. Human gallstones are a particularly rich source. The structure of cholesterol contains eight tetrahedral stereocenters.

Thus, the statement about steroid and cholesterol is (c).

Conclusion:

There are many classes of lipids and out of then one is steroid which is composed of the four fused rings and hasshort tails in their structural formula just similar to the cholesterol. Thus, it is true that, cholesterol is a fat which is a kind of lipid just like steroid.