Testosterone: Difference between revisions

'''Testosterone''' (T) is a [[anabolic steroid|steroid]] and the primary male sex hormone (androgen). Its effects on the body result from the direct activation of the androgen receptors found in various tissues across the body or via its metabolism to other androgens, most notably via the actions of the enzyme 5-α-reductase, which converts testosterone to the far more potent androgen dihydrotestosterone (DHT).  

In humans, testosterone and other androgens are crucial for the development and maintenance of several male sexually dimorphic traits, such as men's greater bone density and muscle mass compared to women, and (mainly via the process of conversion to DHT, which exhibits far stronger affinity for the AR in these tissues) the development of fixed masculine traits during puberty, such as androgenic body hair, enlargement of the male sex organs, and greater vocal depth. Despite the common perception of it as a male hormone, it is also produced by women in much smaller amounts (in ovaries and the adrenal glands), and it seems to play an essential role in the maintenance of several vital physiological functions in women, particularly the [[sex drive|libido]].<ref>https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2213858715002843</ref>