Gonane in the context of "Estrane"

A sterol is any organic compound with a skeleton closely related to cholestan-3-ol and having a hydroxyl group at carbon 3. The simplest sterol is gonan-3-ol, which has a formula of C
₁₇H
₂₈O, and is derived from that of gonane by replacement of a hydrogen atom on C3 position by a hydroxyl group. It is therefore an alcohol of gonane.

More generally, any compounds that contain the gonane structure, additional functional groups, and/or modified ring systems derived from gonane are called steroids. Therefore, sterols are a subgroup of the steroids. They occur naturally in most eukaryotes, including plants, animals, and fungi, and can also be produced by some bacteria (however likely with different functions). The most familiar type of animal sterol is cholesterol, which is vital to the structure of the cell membrane, and functions as a precursor to fat-soluble vitamins and steroid hormones. While technically alcohols, sterols are classified by biochemists as lipids (fats in the broader sense of the term).

Pregnane, also known as 17β-ethylandrostane or as 10β,13β-dimethyl-17β-ethylgonane, is a C21 steroid and, indirectly, a parent of progesterone. It is a parent hydrocarbon for two series of steroids stemming from 5α-pregnane (originally allopregnane) and 5β-pregnane (17β-ethyletiocholane). It has a gonane core.

5β-Pregnane is the parent of pregnanediones, pregnanolones, and pregnanediols, and is found largely in urine as a metabolic product of 5β-pregnane compounds.

Androstane is a C19 steroidal hydrocarbon with a gonane core. Androstane can exist as either of two isomers, known as 5α-androstane and 5β-androstane.

• 
  5α-Androstane
• 
  5β-Androstane

A sterol is any organic compound with a skeleton closely related to cholestan-3-ol and having a hydroxyl group at carbon 3. The simplest sterol is gonan-3-ol, which has a formula of C
₁₇H
₂₈O, and is derived from that of gonane by replacement of a hydrogen atom on C3 position by a hydroxyl group. It is therefore an alcohol of gonane.

More generally, any compounds that contain the gonane structure, additional functional groups, and/or modified ring systems derived from gonane are called steroids. Therefore, sterols are a subgroup of the steroids. They occur naturally in most eukaryotes, including plants, animals, and fungi, and can also be produced by some bacteria (but likely with different functions). The most familiar type of animal sterol is cholesterol, which is vital to the structure of the cell membrane, and functions as a precursor to fat-soluble vitamins and steroid hormones. While technically alcohols, sterols are classified by biochemists as lipids (fats in the broader sense of the term).