Sex hormone

Production

Natural sex hormones are made by the gonads (ovaries or testicles), by adrenal glands, or by conversion from other sex steroids in other tissue such as liver or fat.

Image:Steroidogenesis.svg Image:Biosinthesis of steroid hormones (simplified version).jpg Image:Biosinthesis of steroid hormones (extended version).jpg

Types

In many contexts, the two main classes of sex hormones are androgens and estrogens, of which the most important human derivatives are testosterone and estradiol, respectively. Other contexts will include progestogens as a third class of sex steroids, distinct from androgens and estrogens. Progesterone is the most important and only naturally occurring human progestogen. In general, androgens are considered "male sex hormones", since they have masculinizing effects, while estrogens and progestogens are considered "female sex hormones", since they have feminizing effects, although all types are present in each sex at different levels.

Sex hormones include:

• Progestogens
  • Pregnenolone → Progesterone → Allopregnanedione → Allopregnanolone
  • 17α-Hydroxypregnenolone → 17α-Hydroxyprogesterone
• Androgens
  • Dehydroepiandrosterone → Androstenedione → Androstanedione → Androsterone
  • Androstenediol → Testosterone → Dihydrotestosterone → Androstanediol
• Estrogens
  • 2-Hydroxyestrone ← Estrone → 16α-Hydroxyestrone
  • 2-Hydroxyestradiol ← Estradiol → Estriol → Estetrol

Synthetic sex steroids

There are also many synthetic sex steroids. Synthetic androgens are often referred to as anabolic steroids. Synthetic estrogens and progestins are used in methods of hormonal contraception. Ethinylestradiol is an example of a semi-synthetic estrogen. Specific compounds that have partial agonist activity for steroid receptors may require treatment by a steroid in one cell type, and, therefore, act like natural steroid hormones. These compounds are used in certain medical conditions. Some systemic effects of a particular steroid in the entire organism are only desirable within certain limits.

References

References

1. Guerriero, G. (April 2009). "Vertebrate sex steroid receptors: evolution, ligands, and neurodistribution.". Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.
2. Thakur, MK. (2009). "Role of steroid hormone coregulators in health and disease". Hormone Research.
3. Brook, CG. (1999). "Mechanism of puberty". Hormone Research.
4. "Health, Risk, and Adversity - Volume 2 of Studies of the Biosocial Society". Berghahn Books, 2011.
5. (2022-06-24). "An Overview Of Sex Hormones".
6. ElAttar, TM. (1974). "Comparative metabolism of female sex steroids in normal and chronically inflamed gingiva of the dog". Journal of Periodontal Research.
7. (1988). "Effect of endogenous and synthetic sex steroids on the clearance of antibody-coated cells". The Journal of Immunology.
8. Copland, JA. (June 2009). "Sex steroid receptors in skeletal differentiation and epithelial neoplasia: is tissue-specific intervention possible?". BioEssays.