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Photon-Driven Steroidogenesis

Meaning

Photon-Driven Steroidogenesis is the biological process describing how specific wavelengths of light energy directly or indirectly initiate or modulate the biochemical synthesis of steroid hormones within the body. The most clinically recognized example is the conversion of 7-dehydrocholesterol to pre-vitamin D3 in the skin upon exposure to ultraviolet B (UVB) photons, which is the foundational step for Vitamin D, a secosteroid hormone. This concept underscores light as a critical, yet often overlooked, environmental input for the endocrine system.