ergosterol

ergosterol
/err gos"teuh rohl', -rawl/, n. Biochem.
a colorless, crystalline, water-insoluble sterol, C28H43OH, that occurs in ergot and yeast and that, when irradiated with ultraviolet light, is converted to vitamin D.
[1885-90; ERGO-2 + STEROL]

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also called  provitamin D2 

      a white crystalline organic solid of the molecular formula C28H44O belonging to the steroid family. It is found only in fungi (e.g, Saccharomyces and other yeasts and Claviceps purpurea, the cause of ergot, a fungal disease of cereal grasses) and is chemically related to cholesterol. Ergosterol is converted by ultraviolet irradiation into ergocalciferol, or vitamin D2, a nutritional factor that promotes proper bone development in humans and other mammals.

      Its relationship to vitamin D was established in 1927, when it was shown that an irradiated sample of ergosterol could be used to alleviate rickets, a deficiency disease of bone caused by lack of vitamin D in the diet. Commercially, ergosterol is produced from yeast and then converted into vitamin D2, which is used as a food supplement. See also vitamin D.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Ergosterol — Ergostérol Ergostérol Molécule d ergostérol Général No CAS …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Ergostérol — Molécule d ergostérol Général No CAS …   Wikipédia en Français

  • ergosterol — ERGOSTERÓL, ergosteroli, s.m. Substanţă prezentă în diverse ţesuturi animale şi vegetale, a cărei activare, prin iradiere cu raze ultraviolete, produce vitamina D2; ergosterină. – Din fr. ergostérol. Trimis de LauraGellner, 13.09.2007. Sursa: DEX …   Dicționar Român

  • ergostérol — [ ɛrgosterɔl ] n. m. • 1933; de ergot (de seigle) et stérol, d apr. ergostérine (fin XIXe) ♦ Biochim. Alcool stérolique préparé autrefois à partir de l ergot (II, 1o) et aujourd hui de la levure, qui se transforme en vitamine D antirachitique… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • ergosterol — n. a plant sterol that is converted into vitamin D by ultraviolet radiation. [WordNet 1.5] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • ergosterol — Esterol insaturado del grupo de la vitamina D aislado de las levaduras, champiñones, cornezuelo de centeno y otros hongos. Cuando se trata con radiación ultravioleta se convierte en vitamina D2. Diccionario Mosby Medicina, Enfermería y Ciencias… …   Diccionario médico

  • ergosterol — ergostèrōl m <G ergosteróla> DEFINICIJA kem. C28H44O, kristalni spoj sterolske strukture koji djelovanjem ultravioletnog zračenja prelazi u vitamin D; ima ga u kvascu, u biljnim i životinjskim mastima ETIMOLOGIJA v. ergot + v. sterol …   Hrvatski jezični portal

  • ergosterol — [ʉr gäs′tər ôl΄, ʉr gäs′tərōl΄] n. [< ERGOT + STEROL] a crystalline plant sterol, C28H43OH, formerly prepared from ergot but now chiefly from yeast: when exposed to ultraviolet rays it produces a vitamin (D2) used to prevent or cure rickets …   English World dictionary

  • Ergosterol — Chembox new ImageFile = Ergosterol structure.svg ImageSize = 250px IUPACName = (3 S ,9 S ,10 R ,13 R ,14 R ,17 R ) 17 ((2 R ,5 R , E ) 5,6 dimethylhept 3 en 2 yl) 10,13 dimethyl 2,3,4,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17 dodecahydro 1 H cyclopenta [ a ]… …   Wikipedia

  • Ergosterol — Strukturformel Allgemeines Freiname Ergosterin Andere …   Deutsch Wikipedia

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