A steroid hormone, such as testosterone or androsterone, that controls the development and maintenance of masculine characteristics. Also called androgenic hormone.
androgenic an'dro·gen'ic (-jĕn'ĭk) adj.
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A steroid hormone, such as testosterone or androsterone, that controls the development and maintenance of masculine characteristics. Also called androgenic hormone.
androgenic an'dro·gen'ic (-jĕn'ĭk) adj.One of a class of steroid hormones. Androgens play a major role in the development and maintenance of masculine secondary sexual characters, for example, the seminal vesicle and prostate gland of the male mammal, and the comb, wattles, and spur of the male fowl. They also influence certain other secondary sexual characters, such as hair growth pattern and voice quality in humans. In the fowl, they affect the pattern and seasonal coloration of its feathers, as well as crowing. In addition, androgens affect nitrogen metabolism (anabolic). Androgens are produced in the testis, ovary, adrenal, and most likely, in the placenta. A small portion of the androgen is from corticoids, or adrenal cortex steroids, and from other C21 steroids, such as progesterone. See also Hormone; Ovary; Progesterone; Steroid.
Any substance that promotes the development of male secondary sexual characteristics (e.g. growth of facial hair and increase in muscle bulk). See also anabolic steroids.
Any substance that possesses masculinizing qualities, such as testosterone.
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Any substance, such as testosterone and some steroid drugs, which promotes the development of male secondary sexual characteristics.
Any steroid hormone which promotes male characteristics. The two main androgens are androstenedione and testosterone.
Androgen is the generic term for any natural or synthetic compound, usually a steroid hormone, that stimulates or controls the development and maintenance of masculine characteristics in vertebrates by binding to androgen receptors. This includes the activity of the accessory male sex organs and development of male secondary sex characteristics. Androgens, which were first discovered in 1936, are also called androgenic hormones or testoids. Androgens are also the original anabolic steroids. They are also the precursor of all estrogens, the female sex hormones. The primary and most well-known androgen is testosterone.
A subset of androgens, adrenal androgens, includes any of the 19-carbon steroids synthesized by the adrenal cortex, the outer portion of the adrenal gland (zonula reticularis - innermost region of the adrenal cortex), that function as weak steroids or steroid precursors, including dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), and androstenedione.
Besides testosterone, other androgens include:
During mammalian development, the gonads are at first capable of becoming either ovaries or testes[1]. In humans, starting at about week 4 the gonadal rudiments are present within the intermediate mesoderm adjacent to the developing kidneys. At about week 6, epithelial sex cords develop within the forming testes and incorporate the germ cells as they migrate into the gonads. In males, certain Y chromosome genes, particularly SRY, control development of the male phenotype, including conversion of the early bipotential gonad into testes. In males, the sex cords fully invade the developing gonads.
The mesoderm-derived epithelial cells of the sex cords in developing testes become the Sertoli cells which will function to support sperm cell formation. A minor population of non-epithelial cells appear between the tubules by week 8 of human fetal development. These are Leydig cells. Soon after they differentiate, Leydig cells begin to produce androgens.
The androgens function as paracrine hormones required by the Sertoli cells in order to support sperm production. They are also required for masculinization of the developing male fetus (including penis and scrotum formation). Under the influence of androgens, remnants of the mesonephron, the Wolffian ducts, develop into the epididymis, vas deferens and seminal vesicles. This action of androgens is supported by a hormone from Sertoli cells, AMH, which prevents the embryonic Müllerian ducts from developing into fallopian tubes and other female reproductive tract tissues in male embryos. AMH and androgens cooperate to allow for the normal movement of testes into the scrotum.
Before the production of the pituitary hormone LH by the embryo starting at about weeks 11-12, human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) promotes the differentiation of Leydig cells and their production of androgens. Androgen action in target tissues often involves conversion of testosterone to 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT).
During puberty, androgen, LH and FSH production increase and the sex cords hollow out, forming the seminiferous tubules, and the germ cells start to differentiate into sperm. Throughout adulthood, androgens and FSH cooperatively act on Sertoli cells in the testes to support sperm production[2]. Exogenous androgen supplements can be used as a male contraceptive. Elevated androgen levels caused by use of androgen supplements can inhibit production of LH and block production of endogenous androgens by Leydig cells. Without the locally high levels of androgens in testes due to androgen production by Leydig cells, the seminiferous tubules can degenerate resulting in infertility. For this reason, many transdermal androgen patches are applied to the scrotum.
Males typically have less adipose tissue than females. Recent results indicate that androgens inhibit the ability of some fat cells to store lipids by blocking a signal transduction pathway that normally supports adipocyte function[3].
Males typically have more skeletal muscle mass than females. Androgens promote the enlargement of skeletal muscle cells and probably act in a coordinated manner to enhance muscle function by acting on several cell types in skeletal muscle tissue[4].
Circulating levels of androgens can influence human behavior because some neurons are sensitive to steroid hormones. Androgen levels have been implicated in the regulation of human aggression[5] and libido.
Reduced ability of a XY karyotype fetus to respond to androgens can result in one of several problems, including infertility and several forms of intersex conditions. See androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS).
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