Steroid sex hormones



PDB file of testosterone
PDB file of estrone
Testosterone and estrone (estrogen) are steroid hormones responsible for the development of secondary sexual characteristics in males and females, respectively. It is strange to realize that the tiny molecular differences in these two hormones (seen in the diagram below) control such important distinctions as whether we have beards, chest hair, and deep voices (due to testosterone) or lack of facial and chest hair, higher pitched voices, and development of breast tissue (due to estrogens). Individuals undergoing sex change operations are treated with the appropriate steroid hormone to change their normal sexual appearance so that they acquire the secondary sexual features of the opposite sex.

What differences can you see between these two molecules?