text: Cholesterol is a tetracyclic alcohol and a type of sterol. Added to the sterol frame with the alcohol group at position 3 are 2 methyl groups at carbon positions 10 and 13 and a 2-isooctyl group at position 17. The molecule is unsaturated at position 5,6 with an alkene group. The total number of stereocenters is 8. The unnatural cholesterol molecule that has also been synthesized is called ent-cholesterol.