Cholecalciferol (/ˌkoʊləkælˈsɪfərɒl/) (vitamin D3) is one of the five forms of vitamin D.[1][2] It is a secosteroid, that is, a steroid molecule with one ring open. This and all forms of vitamin D are misnamed: vitamins by definition are essential organic compounds which cannot be synthesized by the body and must be ingested; cholecalciferol is synthesized by the body, and functions as a prehormone. Cholecalciferol is inactive: it is converted to its active form by two hydroxylations: the first in the liver, the second in the kidney, to form calcitriol, whose action is mediated by the vitamin D receptor, a nuclear receptor which regulates the synthesis of hundreds of enzymes and is present in virtually every cell in the body.
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| IUPAC names
 (3β,5Z,7E)-9,10-secocholesta- 
5,7,10(19)-trien-3-ol  | 
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| Other names
 vitamin D3, activated 7-dehydrocholesterol 
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 CAS Number 
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67-97-0 = | 
| ChEBI | CHEBI:28940 | 
| ChEMBL | ChEMBL1042 | 
| ChemSpider | 4444353 | 
| DrugBank | DB00169 | 
| EC Number | 200-673-2 | 
| Jmol interactive 3D | Image | 
| PubChem | 5280795 | 
| UNII | 1C6V77QF41 | 
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 InChI[show] 
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 SMILES[show] 
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 Chemical formula 
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C27H44O | 
| Molar mass | 384.64 g/mol | 
| Appearance | White, needle-like crystals | 
| Melting point | 83 to 86 °C (181 to 187 °F; 356 to 359 K) | 
| Boiling point | 496.4 °C (925.5 °F; 769.5 K) | 
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 Solubility in water 
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Practically insoluble in water, freely soluble in Abs. Ethanol, Methanol and some other organic solvents. Slightly soluble in vegetable oils. | 
| ATC code | A11CC05 | 
			
        
    
			
        
    
			
        
    
			
        
    
                            
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