GROUP 1 ACTIVITY NO. 17 CHOLESTEROL ADDITIONAL PAGES III. QUESTIONS 1. Write the formula of cholesterol.

January 24, 2013

2. In what parts of the body is cholesterol found? Cholesterol is found in the central nervous system (as insulator by forming a part of the myelin sheath), nervous tissue, blood plasma, adrenal cortex, bile, and mostly synthesized by liver and intestines. 3. What foods are rich in cholesterol?

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4. What is the clinical importance of the quantitative determination of cholesterol in the blood? The quantitative determination of cholesterol in the blood is important because high blood cholesterol levels contribute to atherosclerosis, a form of cardiovascular disease characterized by the buildup of plaque along the inner walls of arteries. Plaque is a mound of lipid material mixed with smooth muscle cells and calcium. Much lipid material plaque is cholesterol. Plaque deposits in the arteries that serve the heart reduce blood flow to the heart muscle and can lead to a heart attack.

GROUP 1 ACTIVITY NO. 17 CHOLESTEROL

January 24, 2013

5. What are gallstones? Gallstones are hard, pebble-like deposits that form inside the gallbladder. Gallstones may be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball. The cause of gallstones varies. There are two main types of gallstones: Stones made of cholesterol, which are by far the most common type. Cholesterol gallstones have nothing to do with cholesterol levels in the blood. Stones made of bilirubin, which can occur when red blood cells are being destroyed (hemolysis). This leads to too much bilirubin in the bile. These stones are called pigment stones.

The following also make you more likely to develop gallstones: Bone marrow or solid organ transplant Diabetes Failure of the gallbladder to empty bile properly (this is more likely to happen during pregnancy) Liver cirrhosis and biliary tract infections (pigmented stones) Medical conditions that cause the liver to make too much bilirubin, such as chronic hemolytic anemia, including sickle cell anemia Rapid weight loss from eating a very low-calorie diet, or after bariatric surgery Receiving nutrition through a vein for a long period of time (intravenous feedings)

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