dehydrocholesterol

noun

de·​hy·​dro·​cholesterol
dē¦hīdrō+
: a crystalline steroid alcohol C27H43OH that occurs chiefly in higher animals and humans (as in the skin), that is made synthetically from cholesterol, and that yields vitamin D3 on irradiation with ultraviolet light

called also 7-dehydrocholesterol

Word History

Etymology

dehydr- + cholesterol

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Cite this Entry

“Dehydrocholesterol.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dehydrocholesterol. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

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