Fatty acids and sterols originally evolved symbiotically as structural components of cell
membranes. In some respects, control of their biosynthetic pathways reflects their mutual
interdependence in defining changes in the physicochemical properties of the membranes
in response to the changing internal and external cellular environments. In some tissues of
higher animals, however, cholesterol and fatty acids have multifunctional roles. In particular,
the liver synthesizes these lipids for export as multimolecular complexes in the form of …