Biological Role of LDL

Unable to mix well with blood and easily flow through arteries, cholesterol requires a way to move from production in the liver, onward throughout the body. The biological role of LDL is to provide just this type of transportation.

Identification

• Lipoproteins find themselves classified as low-density (LDL) and high-density (HDL), with LDL also called ̶0;bad̶1; cholesterol and HDL ̶0;good̶1; cholesterol. Physicians judge the amount of cholesterol in the blood by measuring these twice.

Significance

• LDL plays an important role in human health. ̶0;Cholesterol forms part of the outer membrane that surrounds every cell,̶1; according to a British Broadcasting Corporation by report Dr. Trisha Macnair. ̶0;It's used to insulate nerve fibers (and so make nerve signals travel properly) and make hormones, which carry chemical signals around the body.̶1;

Function

• LDL ̶0;drops off̶1; cholesterol at a cell for absorption. When that cell is full of necessary cholesterol, it refuses any more, and the left-over cholesterol begins to buildup. This results in the cardiovascular disease known as atherosclerosis.

Transportation

• The majority of cholesterol movement takes place via LDL with only ̶0;About one-fourth to one-third of blood cholesterol carried by high-density lipoprotein (HDL),̶1; says the American Heart Association.

Considerations

• Levels of LDL above 100 mg/dL are considered dangerous in either sex while HDL amounts should exceed 40 mg/dL in men and 50 mg/dL in women.