Steroid Hormones

In either Fall 2008 or Fall 2009 (memory really does fail me), I took Animal Reproduction at Rutgers. The Professor was Carol Bagnell (with Larry Katz, my adviser, as a guest lecturer for part of the course), a lovely lady who generated interest in the material spectacularly. Such that I decided to be a teacher's assistant for the course for the following year to make up quizzes for whoever was taking the class then.

Considering how obsessed I was with that class, I should have known the steroid hormones by heart (yes, even the structures, even if we didn't NEED to) back then. But I didn't.

So then, this was chapter 26 in my Organic Chem book, meaning I should have had them memorized three chapters ago. But I didn't. So tonight, that is the goal. Along with a bunch of other crap that I have yet to memorize.

Let's play a game of "How to remember how to draw the steroid hormones...or at least RECOGNIZE them"...

We begin with the Androgens - male sex hormones. They're synthesized in the testes and are responsible for the development of secondary sex characteristics.

What do steroids look like? Sort of like this ^^^

Testosterone. I've got this one memorized already. It's the easiest one.

Next is Androsterone. Apparently, it's a weak androgen with a potency 1/7th of Testosterone. Thanks, wikipedia. Let's see if we can use this to our advantage..

Never thought I would be trash-talking a steroid hormone. Usually I trash-talk women. Even though I am one. Speaking of women...

Estrogens are female sex hormones. Synthesized in ...that's right...the OVARIES... Responsible for development of female secondary sex characteristics & control the menstrual cycle. Which I appreciate having, since it means I'm not pregnant. BAM.

I think I need to change my marker... Here's progesterone. Going to make fun of women with this one. It's for my own good. This thing deals with the menstrual cycle and pregnancy support. I remember the corpus luteum is somehow involved here.. Maybe I'll do some light reading in my old repro textbook once finals are over... Hmm...

If my dear friend Rebecca ever reads this, she'll appreciate my FRIENDS reference here. Since it's a "female sex hormone", secreted in the ovaries and by adipose tissues. I'll be girly with this one. And I'll be proud of it!

Time for the Glucocorticoid Hormones. Synthesized in the adrenal cortex. They regulate metabolism of CHO's, deal with when your shit's all inflamed, and are involved with the stress response. So, hormones that my body is very familiar with.

Honestly, this couldn't get any easier for me to memorize if I TRIED. Ketone has the C=O, Alcohol has the -OH group. On ring C. Just need to remember the messy ordeal about ring D and the "normal structure" as I will refer to it on ring A.

Now all that I've got is Aldosterone, a mineralocorticoid hormone, synthesized in the adrenal cortex. This shit regulates blood pressure and volume by stimulating the kidneys to absorb Na/Cl anions and HCO3- (bicarbonate)

I highly doubt this last one will make sense when I look at it later. This probably won't help anyone but me to memorize this. Candy mountain charlie, candy mountain!