GLOSSARY

Cholesteryl Ester is cholesterol esterified to a fatty acid, distinct from triglyceride and important in lipoprotein cores and cellular storage.

In cholesteryl ester, a fatty acid is attached to cholesterol's hydroxyl group, making it more hydrophobic and suitable for lipoprotein cores. Free cholesterol here means unesterified, not necessarily freely dissolved without a carrier in blood. Esterification is also not the same as removing cholesterol from the body or converting it into triglyceride.

An ester bond joins a fatty acid's carboxyl group to an alcohol group and can be cleaved by hydrolysis. It differs from a double bond within the chain: ester cleavage does not inherently saturate the chain. Making and breaking these linkages supports storage and release, but the distinct reactions should not share interchangeable names.

Sterols have a characteristic ring structure and hydroxyl group rather than being fatty-acid chains or triglycerides. Cholesterol is a familiar animal sterol, while plants contain diverse sterols of their own. Sharing the sterol name does not imply identical absorption or function; nutritional interpretation requires the specific member, amount and formulation.