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Free Hormone Concentration

Meaning

Free hormone concentration represents the minute fraction of a circulating hormone that is unbound to plasma transport proteins, such as Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin or albumin, and is therefore biologically active. Only the free, unbound hormone molecules can diffuse across cell membranes and interact with intracellular receptors to elicit a physiological response. This concentration is the true determinant of hormonal effect at the tissue level, making it a more clinically relevant metric than total hormone levels.