Endogenous Steroidogenesis refers to the complex, multi-step biochemical process within the human body responsible for the de novo synthesis of all steroid hormones from cholesterol. This critical pathway occurs primarily in the adrenal glands, gonads, and placenta, producing glucocorticoids, mineralocorticoids, and sex steroids. The integrity and efficiency of this process are fundamental to systemic health, regulating stress response, metabolism, and reproductive function.
Origin
The term is derived from the Greek roots endo- (within), steros (solid, fat), -eidos (form), and genesis (creation), literally meaning the creation of solid-form hormones from within. Its clinical and scientific foundation lies in early 20th-century biochemistry, which mapped the intricate P450 enzyme-driven cascade from cholesterol to pregnenolone and subsequent downstream hormones.
Mechanism
The entire mechanism begins with the transport of cholesterol into the inner mitochondrial membrane, where the rate-limiting enzyme, cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme (P450scc), converts it to pregnenolone. Subsequent steps involve a series of hydroxylase, dehydrogenase, and isomerase enzymes, which sequentially modify the pregnenolone backbone to produce cortisol, aldosterone, testosterone, and estrogens. This cascade is tightly regulated by pituitary hormones like ACTH and LH/FSH through negative feedback loops.
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