Steroids are lipids found in the brain and alter electrical activity. They have a fused ring structure and many have a short tail and hydroxyl group, classifying them as sterols. Cholesterol is the precursor to important steroid hormones like estrogen, testosterone, progesterone, aldosterone, and cortisol that play roles in reproduction, metabolism, and other processes. Steroids are man-made versions of these natural hormones that reduce inflammation in conditions like rheumatoid arthritis by decreasing the immune response. They can provide fast symptom relief but are usually only prescribed short-term.

1. TOPIC
INTRODUCTION OF STEROIDS
PREPARED BY
RIMSHA BAKHTAWAR RASHEED
MSC CHEMISTRY

2. WHAT ARE STEROIDS
• Steroids are lipids because they are hydrophobic and insoluble in
water.
• Steroids are found in the brain and alter electrical activity in the
brain.
• Because they can tone down receptors that communicate messages
from neurotransmitters, steroids are often used in anesthetic
medicines.
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3. STRUCTURE OF STEROID HORMONE
• Unlike phospholipids and fats, steroids have a
fused ring structure. Although they do not
resemble the other lipids, they are grouped
with them because they are also hydrophobic
and insoluble in water.
• All steroids have four linked carbon rings,
and many of them, like cholesterol, have a
short tail. Many steroids also have the –OH
functional group, and these steroids are
classified as alcohols called sterols.
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5. CHOLESTROL
Cholesterol is the most common steroid mainly synthesized in the liver; it is
the precursor to vitamin D and many other important steroid hormones like
• Estrogen.
• Testosterone.
• Progesterone (secreted by the gonads and endocrine glands).
• Aldosterone (used for osmoregulation).
• Cortisol (role in metabolism).
Therefore, steroids play very important roles in the body’s reproductive
system.
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6. ESTROGEN
Estrogen is a hormone that plays various
roles in the body.
In females, it helps develop and maintain
both the reproductive system and
female characteristics, such as breasts
and pubic hair.
Estrogen is commonly associated with
the female body. Men also produce
estrogen, but women produce it in
higher levels
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7. TESTOSTERONE
Testosterone is a hormone produced
by the human body.
It's mainly produced in men by the
testicles.
Testosterone affects a man's
appearance and sexual
development.
It stimulates sperm production as
well as a man's sex drive.
It also helps build muscle and bone
mass.
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8. PROGESTRONE
• Progesterone is a hormone released by the corpus luteum in
the ovary.
• It plays important roles in the menstrual cycle and in
maintaining the early stages of pregnancy.
• It may also be involved in the growth of certain cancers.
• It also prohibits the muscle contractions in the uterus that
would cause the body to reject an egg.
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9. The hormone helps regulate menstruation, prepares the body for
pregnancy, and aids in nourishing the uterine environment to support
implantation of the fertilized egg, as well as growth of the placenta.
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10. ALDOSTERONE
• Aldosterone is the main
mineralocorticoid steroid
hormone produced by the
zona glomerulosa of the
adrenal cortex in the adrenal
gland.
• It is essential for sodium
conservation in the kidney,
salivary glands, sweat glands,
and colon
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11. CORTISOL
• It is widely known as the body's
stress hormone,
• Cortisol has a variety of effects
on different functions
throughout the body.
• It is the main glucocorticoid
released from the zona
fasciculata layer of the adrenal
cortex.
• The hypothalamus-pituitary-
adrenal axis regulates both
production and secretion of
cortisol
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12. • Steroids are a man-made version of chemicals, known as hormones,
that are made naturally in the human body. Steroids are designed to
act like these hormones to reduce inflammation.
• They’re also known as corticosteroids, and are different to anabolic
steroids used by bodybuilders and athletes.
• Steroids won’t cure your condition, but they’re very good at reducing
inflammation and will ease symptoms such as swelling, pain and
stiffness.
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13. • In some conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, the immune system
produces inflammation in the joints or other parts of the body by
mistake, which can cause permanent damage if left untreated.
Steroids can be used to reduce this immune reaction.
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14. • Steroids are usually only given for a short time to quickly treat flare-
ups of your condition. Depending on which condition you have and
what dose you’re prescribed, you may notice an improvement in your
symptoms within a few days.
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