Steroids
Steroids are derivatives of cholesterol. These are molecules that have a characteristic 4-ringed carbon structure with different side chains. Important steroids include the male sex hormone testosterone, and the female sex hormone, estrogen. Anabolic steroids are synthetic versions of the male sex hormone, testosterone . An increase in the amount of circulating hormone can cause extreme mood swings and "'roid rage".
Figure 6. The structure of cholesterol (middle structure) and the sex hormones estrogen (left structure) and testosterone (right structure) are illustrated above. Note, the signature 4-ring (hexagon shapes joined together in a single chain) structure of each steroid.
