Cholecalciferol

Cholecalciferol, or vitamin D₃, is a fat-soluble secosteroid produced in skin under ultraviolet B light and obtained from some foods. The body converts it into hormones that regulate calcium and phosphate balance.

7-Dehydrocholesterol: A cholesterol precursor in skin that ultraviolet B radiation converts into previtamin D₃. It is the skin molecule from which cholecalciferol synthesis begins.
Vitamin D deficiency: A state in which vitamin D availability is insufficient for normal physiological needs. Low cholecalciferol intake or production can contribute to this condition.
Vitamin D: A group of fat-soluble compounds that support calcium and phosphate homeostasis and bone health. Cholecalciferol is one member of this broader vitamin group.
Ergocalciferol: Vitamin D₂, a fat-soluble vitamin produced by fungi and used in some foods and supplements. It is the main alternative to cholecalciferol in vitamin D supplements.
Skin photochemistry: Chemical reactions in skin initiated by light, including ultraviolet-driven changes in molecules. Cholecalciferol synthesis is a distinctive example of a light-driven reaction in human skin.
Ultraviolet B: A band of ultraviolet radiation with wavelengths of roughly 280–315 nanometers. Its photons trigger the first chemical step in skin production of cholecalciferol.
Rickets: A childhood disorder of impaired bone mineralization, commonly caused by vitamin D deficiency. Cholecalciferol supplementation can prevent or treat nutritional rickets.
Vitamin D₂: Ergocalciferol, a vitamin D form produced by fungi and used in foods and supplements. It shares vitamin D activity with cholecalciferol but has a different chemical origin.
Calcifediol: The pharmaceutical name for 25-hydroxyvitamin D₃, a liver-produced vitamin D metabolite. Unlike cholecalciferol, it is already hydroxylated at the liver’s first activation step.
Dietary source of vitamin D: Foods that provide vitamin D, including oily fish, egg yolks, and fortified products. Diet supplies cholecalciferol when skin production is limited or insufficient.

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RodenticideRelated: Some rodenticides use cholecalciferol to cause hypercalcemia and organ damage.