squalene

[ skwey-leen ]

noun

, Biochemistry.

1. an oil, C 3 0 H 5 0 , intermediate in the synthesis of cholesterol, obtained for use in manufacturing pharmaceuticals.

squalene

/ ˈskweɪˌliːn /

noun

1. biochem a terpene first found in the liver of sharks but also present in the livers of most higher animals: an important precursor of cholesterol

squalene

/ skwā′lēn′ /

1. A colorless, unsaturated hydrocarbon found especially in the liver oil of sharks and in human sebum. It is an intermediate compound in the body's synthesis of cholesterol. Chemical formula: C 30 H 50 .

Word History and Origins

Origin of squalene¹

1925–30; < New Latin Squal ( us ) name of a genus of sharks (the liver of which yields the oil), Latin: a kind of fish + -ene

Word History and Origins

Origin of squalene¹

C20: from New Latin squalus genus name of the shark

Example Sentences

“Many beauty products contain squalene,” Schiller says, “which usually, but not necessarily, derives from sharks. So it’s good to look for products that use plant-based alternatives instead.”

From National Geographic

Livers make up about a third of sharks’ body weight and are rich in a nutritious oil called squalene, making them highly appealing to orcas, Watson says.

From Scientific American

Exfoliating enzymes, epidermal growth factor, stem cells, and squalene oil.

From Slate

Self-sufficient amalgam of oil and water and squalene and ceramides that it is, the skin can’t help but glow.

From Slate

The study, however, found that several metabolites proven to be vital to human health were found either exclusively or in greater amounts of beef, including creatine, spermine, anserine, cysteamine, glucosamine, squalene, and the omega-3 fatty acid DHA, researchers said.

From Fox News