A cytochrome P450 monooxygenase with a key role in vitamin D catabolism and calcium homeostasis. Via C24- and C23-oxidation pathways, catalyzes the inactivation of both the vitamin D precursor calcidiol (25-hydroxyvitamin D(3)) and the active hormone calcitriol (1-alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3)) (PubMed:11012668, PubMed:15574355, PubMed:16617161, PubMed:24893882, PubMed:29461981, PubMed:8679605). With initial hydroxylation at C-24 (via C24-oxidation pathway), performs a sequential 6-step oxidation of calcitriol leading to the formation of the biliary metabolite calcitroic acid (PubMed:15574355, PubMed:24893882). With initial hydroxylation at C-23 (via C23-oxidation pathway), catalyzes sequential oxidation of calcidiol leading to the formation of 25(OH)D3-26,23-lactone as end product (PubMed:11012668, PubMed:8679605). Preferentially hydroxylates at C-25 other vitamin D active metabolites, such as CYP11A1-derived secosteroids 20S- hydroxycholecalciferol and 20S,23-dihydroxycholecalciferol (PubMed:25727742). Mechanistically, uses molecular oxygen inserting one oxygen atom into a substrate, and reducing the second into a water molecule, with two electrons provided by NADPH via FDXR/adrenodoxin reductase and FDX1/adrenodoxin (PubMed:8679605). {ECO:0000269|PubMed:11012668, ECO:0000269|PubMed:15574355, ECO:0000269|PubMed:16617161, ECO:0000269|PubMed:24893882, ECO:0000269|PubMed:25727742, ECO:0000269|PubMed:29461981, ECO:0000269|PubMed:8679605}. This is the function of CYP24A1 (cytochrome P450 family 24 subfamily A member 1, Ensembl gene identifier ENSG00000019186).