Steroids

A steroid is an organic compound with four rings arranged in a specific molecular configuration, composed of seventeen carbon atoms, bonded in four "fused" rings: three six-member cyclohexane rings (rings A, B and C) and one five-member cyclopentane ring (the D ring). Hundreds of steroids are found in plants, animals and fungi. Examples include the dietary lipid cholesterol, the sex hormones estradiol and testosterone. Steroids have two principal biological functions: certain steroids (such as cholesterol) are important components of cell membranes which alter membrane fluidity, and many steroids are signaling molecules which activate steroid hormone receptors.