GENERAL HISTOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Also, cholesterol helps regulate the stiffness of membranes, while other less prominent lipids play roles in cell signaling and cell recognition. In addition to lipids, membranes are loaded with proteins.

Detailed explanation-2: -Cholesterol regulates critical cell functions, including lysis, viral budding, and antibiotic resistance, by modifying the bending rigidity of cell membranes; i.e., the ability of membranes to bend or withstand mechanical stresses.

Detailed explanation-3: -Comprising 30 mol % of the lipids in cell membranes, cholesterol plays vital biophysical roles in monolayer and bilayer membranes. It increases the lipid-packing density and maintains high membrane fluidity.

Detailed explanation-4: -Cholesterol modulates the bilayer structure of biological membranes in multiple ways. It changes the fluidity, thickness, compressibility, water penetration and intrinsic curvature of lipid bilayers.

Detailed explanation-5: -In some membranes there are only a few cholesterol molecules, but in others there are as many cholesterols as phospholipids according to Audesirk & Audesirk. Cholesterol makes the bilayer stronger, more flexible but less fluid, and less permeable to water-soluble substances such as ions and monosaccharides.