Sex hormone

Sex hormones, also known as sex steroids, gonadocorticoids and gonadal steroids, are steroid hormones that interact with vertebrate steroid hormone receptors.<ref name="pmid19456336">Template:Cite journal</ref> The sex hormones include the androgens, estrogens, and progestogens. Their effects are mediated by slow genomic mechanisms through nuclear receptors as well as by fast nongenomic mechanisms through membrane-associated receptors and signaling cascades.<ref name="pmid19258710">Template:Cite journal</ref> Certain polypeptide hormones including the luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and gonadotropin-releasing hormone – each associated with the gonadotropin axis – are usually not regarded as sex hormones, although they play major sex-related roles.

Production

Natural sex hormones are made by the gonads (ovaries or testicles),<ref name="pmid10592444">Template:Cite journal</ref> by adrenal glands, or by conversion from other sex steroids in other tissue such as liver or fat.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

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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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref name="pmid4281823">Template:Cite journal</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> 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.<ref name="pmid19382224">Template:Cite journal</ref>

See also

• List of investigational sex-hormonal agents
• Effects of hormones on sexual motivation
• Sex hormone therapy

External links

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