Cholesterol is a long chain polycyclic alcohol, considered a steroid, found in cell membranes and transported in the blood plasma of animals. It is the main sterol synthesized in animal tissue. Cholesterol is excreted through bile acids as salts to the intestine. Free cholesterol can also be released with bile and most of this cholesterol is reabsorbed in the intestines, returning to circulation, returning to the liver.
Cholesterol esters are more hydrophobic than free cholesterol and are transported in the blood via lipoproteins, mainly by LDL and to a lesser extent by HDL and VLDV.
