High cholesterol levels are considered a major risk factor for heart disease. If it is so bad for humans, why does the body make cholesterol in the first place?

• A. Cholesterol is not important for humans anymore. It is a holdover from hunter-gatherer days when food was scarce.
• B. Cholesterol is an important energy storage molecule.
• C. Cholesterol is an important constituent of nucleotides.
• D. Cholesterol aids in the formation of amino acids that are used to build proteins.
• E. Cholesterol is the precursor for many important molecules such as sex hormones.