Cholesterol always has to be contained in a protective structure—the protective container that the body uses to safely transport cholesterol is called a lipoprotein (as in “high-density lipoprotein”—HDL—and “low-density lipoprotein”—LDL.) We colloquially call these lipoproteins “cholesterol” but in fact, cholesterol is only a portion of the cargo these lipoprotein “boats” carry around the bloodstream. (For example, lipoproteins also carry triglycerides and protein.)
