Question:medium
Which type of cholesterol is present in gallstones?
Which type of cholesterol is present in gallstones?
Show Hint
Cholesterol gallstones are made of ordered monohydrate crystals.
Updated On: Jun 23, 2026
- Amorphous cholesterol monohydrate
- Amorphous cholesterol dihydrate
- Crystalline cholesterol dihydrate
- Crystalline cholesterol monohydrate
Show Solution
The Correct Option is D
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Gallstone formation begins with bile that holds more cholesterol than it can keep dissolved, a state called supersaturation.
Step 2: As the gallbladder concentrates this bile, cholesterol drops out as microscopic solid particles. Because these particles have a regular repeating lattice they are described as crystalline rather than amorphous.
Step 3: Chemically, each cholesterol molecule in the stone is associated with one water molecule, giving the monohydrate form. So the building block of a cholesterol stone is the cholesterol monohydrate crystal.
Step 4: Eliminating dihydrate and amorphous descriptions leaves only one valid choice.\[\boxed{\text{Crystalline cholesterol monohydrate}}\]
Step 2: As the gallbladder concentrates this bile, cholesterol drops out as microscopic solid particles. Because these particles have a regular repeating lattice they are described as crystalline rather than amorphous.
Step 3: Chemically, each cholesterol molecule in the stone is associated with one water molecule, giving the monohydrate form. So the building block of a cholesterol stone is the cholesterol monohydrate crystal.
Step 4: Eliminating dihydrate and amorphous descriptions leaves only one valid choice.\[\boxed{\text{Crystalline cholesterol monohydrate}}\]
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