| Cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) is one of the five forms of vitamin D. It is a secosteroid, that is, a steroid molecule with one ring open. This and all forms of vitamin D are misnamed: vitamins by definition are essential organic compounds which cannot be synthesized by the body and must be ingested; cholecalciferol is synthesized by the body, and functions as a prehormone. Cholecalciferol is inactive: it is converted to its active form by two hydroxylations: the first in the liver, the second in the kidney, to form calcitriol, whose action is mediated by the vitamin D receptor, a nuclear receptor which regulates the synthesis of hundreds of enzymes and is present in virtually every cell in the body. Chemical structure: C27H44O MW: 384.64Da |
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