Squalene is an unsaturated triterpene compound connected by six isoprene unites and also is a key intermediate of human cholesterol metabolism pathway.This paper systematically reviewed the contents of squalene in different biomasses and recent development in squalene's bioactivities.Squalene is existed widely in animals,plants and microorganisms.In animals,shark liver oil is considered the richest squalene source,and furthermore,yak meat is recendy also been found as a weel squalene source.These indicated that squalene is probably associated with animals adjusting themselves to adapt to the tough environment.Squalene is also widely distributed in plants,mainly including olive oil and its deodorizer distillate,amaranth grain oil,rice bran oil and pumpkin grain with amount of quantities.Squalene has been found possess various bioactivities,including carrying oxygen,regulating cholesterol metabolism,antioxidation,anticancer,detoxifier,anti-radiation and inhibiting microbial growth etc.and is widely applied in cosmetics,pharmaceutical and food industry.