The concentration of cholesterol in the blood serum of a normal adult is approximately 200 mg/dL. How many grams of cholesterol does a person with a blood volume of 5.75 L have circulating in his or her blood? (You may need to review Chapter 1.)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Convert the blood volume from liters to deciliters using the conversion factor: 1 L = 10 dL.
2. Calculate the total amount of cholesterol in milligrams by multiplying the concentration (200 mg/dL) by the blood volume in deciliters.
3. Convert the total cholesterol from milligrams to grams using the conversion factor: 1 g = 1000 mg.
4. Ensure all units are consistent and check calculations for accuracy.
5. Summarize the steps to verify the process and ensure understanding of the conversion and calculation.

Key Concepts

Cholesterol Concentration

Cholesterol concentration is typically measured in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) and indicates the amount of cholesterol present in a specific volume of blood. In this context, a normal adult has a cholesterol concentration of approximately 200 mg/dL, which serves as a baseline for calculating total cholesterol in the bloodstream.

Blood Volume

Blood volume refers to the total amount of blood circulating within the body, which for an average adult is about 5 to 6 liters. In this question, the blood volume is specified as 5.75 liters, which is essential for determining the total cholesterol content based on the concentration provided.

Unit Conversion

Unit conversion is the process of converting measurements from one unit to another, which is crucial in this problem. To find the total grams of cholesterol, one must convert the concentration from mg/dL to grams per liter, and then multiply by the total blood volume in liters to arrive at the final amount.