Estradiol (E2) - Primary, most potent estrogen
ESTROGENS:
Estradiol is an estrogen steroid hormone regulating female reproductive cycles and responsible for female secondary characteristics such as breasts, widening hips and female fat distribution.
- Major roles in development / maintenance of female reproductive tissues – E.g. mammary glands, uterus, vagina
- Important effects in other tissues – including bone, fat, skin, liver
- Estradiol is present in males at much lower levels than females – but still has important roles in males
- Produced in follicles of the ovaries – also in other tissues including testicles, adrenal glands , fat, liver, breasts and brain
- Synthesized from cholesterol – via enzymes and pathways as shown in above schematic
- Other main estrogen hormones are: estrone (the pregnancy hormone) and estriol (the weak estrogen)
