lanosterol

[ luh-nos-tuh-rawl, -rol ]

noun

, Biochemistry.

1. a sterol, C 30 H 50 O, formed from squalene epoxide, that is a precursor in the biosynthesis of cholesterol and is a component of lanolin.

Word History and Origins

Origin of lanosterol¹

First recorded in 1925–30; lano(lin) + sterol