Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

ergosterol

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 1.42 in modern English

Syllables: er-gos-terol
IPA

11

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

3

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The steroid precursor of vitamin D₂. It is found in cell membranes of fungi, and is their functional equivalent of cholesterol. It is also found in the membranes of some protists.

Countable; Uncountable

Example Sentences

"Terbinafine has a unique mechanism of action among the antifugal agents (Petranyi et al, 1984; Balfour and Faulds, 1992), inhibiting the synthesis of ergosterol, a key sterol component in the plasma membrane of the fungal cell."

Etymology

From French ergot + sterol.

Usage

Inflected Forms

ergosterols (plural)

Frequently Paired Words

ergocalciferol sterol viosterol

Questions

What does ergosterol mean?: The steroid precursor of vitamin D₂. It is found in cell membranes of fungi, and is their functional equivalent of cholesterol. It is also found in the membranes of some protists.
Where does ergosterol come from?: From French ergot + sterol.

How to pronounce ergosterol

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