squalene

[ skwey-leen ]

noun

, Biochemistry.

1. an oil, C 3 0 H 5 0 , intermediate in the synthesis of cholesterol, obtained for use in manufacturing pharmaceuticals.

squalene

/ ˈskweɪˌliːn /

noun

1. biochem a terpene first found in the liver of sharks but also present in the livers of most higher animals: an important precursor of cholesterol

squalene

/ skwā′lēn′ /

1. A colorless, unsaturated hydrocarbon found especially in the liver oil of sharks and in human sebum. It is an intermediate compound in the body's synthesis of cholesterol. Chemical formula: C 30 H 50 .

Word History and Origins

Origin of squalene¹

1925–30; < New Latin Squal ( us ) name of a genus of sharks (the liver of which yields the oil), Latin: a kind of fish + -ene

Word History and Origins

Origin of squalene¹

C20: from New Latin squalus genus name of the shark