The Desert on Steroids
Steroids are synthetic substances similar to hormones like testosterone. They’re similar to hormones in several key ways. In terms of chemical structure, both are lipid-based molecules with a specific four-ring structure called a cyclopentanoperhydrophenanthrene nucleus (say that three times fast). This shared molecular architecture allows them to interact with similar cellular receptors. In terms of their biological function, like hormones, steroids act as chemical messengers in the body. They bind to specific receptor proteins, typically…