acetyl coa
Because of the link between high levels of cholesterol and heart disease, it is commonly seen by the general public as a bad molecule. However, cholesterol plays a vital role in the body, as both a structural component of cell membranes and a metabolic precursor to various steroid hormones. Only about 30% of the cholesterol in our bodies comes from our diet; the rest is synthesized in the liver, intestines, adrenal glands, and reproductive organs. The same acetyl CoA molecule that provides biochemical energy can also be used by the body to synthesize cholesterol. There are approximately twenty-two steps involved in the formation of cholesterol from acetyl CoA.