Ergosterol (ergosta-5,7,22-trien-3β-ol), a sterol, is the biological precursor to Vitamin D₂. It is turned into viosterol by ultraviolet light, and is then converted into ergocalciferol, which is a form of Vitamin D. Image File history File links Ergosterol. ... Sterols, or steroid alcohols are a subgroup of steroids with a hydroxyl group in the 3-position of the A-ring. ... Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin that contributes to the maintenance of normal levels of calcium and phosphorus in the bloodstream. ... Ergosterol is the biological precursor to Vitamin D2. ... Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is electromagnetic radiation of a wavelength shorter than that of the visible region, but longer than that of soft X-rays. ... Chemical structure of ergocalciferol Ergocalciferol is a form of Vitamin D, also called vitamin D2. ...

Ergosterol is a component of fungal cell walls, serving the same function that cholesterol serves in animal cells. The presence of ergosterol in fungal cell walls coupled with its absence in animal cell membranes makes it a useful target for antifungal drugs. Divisions Chytridiomycota Deuteromycota Zygomycota Glomeromycota Ascomycota Basidiomycota Fungus growing on a tree in Borneo A fungus (plural fungi) is a eukaryotic organism that digests its food externally and absorbs the nutrient molecules into its cells. ... A cell wall is a more or less solid layer surrounding a cell. ... Cholesterol chemical structure Cholesterol is a steroid, a lipid, and an alcohol, found in the cell membranes of all body tissues, and transported in the blood plasma of all animals. ... Phyla Porifera (sponges) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria (coral, jellyfish, anenomes) Placozoa (trichoplax) Subregnum Bilateria (bilateral symmetry) Acoelomorpha (basal) Orthonectida (parasitic to flatworms, echinoderms, etc. ... Cells in culture, stained for keratin (red) and DNA (green) The cell is the structural and functional unit of all living organisms, and are sometimes called the building blocks of life. ... An antifungal drug is medication used to treat fungal infections such as athletes foot, ringworm and candidiasis (thrush), as well as serious systemic infections like cryptococcal meningitis. ...