Sex hormone

Sex hormones, also known as sex steroids, gonadocorticoids and gonadal steroids, are steroid hormones that interact with vertebrate steroid hormone receptors. 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. 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.

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.

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:

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.