androgen

Androgen is the family name for the male sex hormones, the way estrogen is the family name for the female ones. Rather than one molecule, it is a group of related steroids that all promote masculine traits by acting on the same receptor, with testosterone as the most famous member.

The androgen family includes testosterone and DHT (the main potent ones), plus weaker precursors such as DHEA and androstenedione that come largely from the adrenal glands and can be converted into stronger androgens in tissues. As steroids built from cholesterol, androgens drive the development of male genitalia, the deepening voice, body and facial hair, muscle growth, and sperm production, and they also influence libido, mood, and red blood cell production.

Androgens are not exclusive to men. Women produce them too, in smaller amounts, where they serve as precursors for estrogen and contribute to libido and bone health. An excess of androgens in women causes acne, unwanted hair growth, and menstrual disturbance, as seen in polycystic ovary syndrome, which is why the term covers a spectrum of effects in both sexes rather than a single male-only signal.