Question

What are sex hormones? Why are they named so? State their function.

Answer 1

Hint: These are present in both males and females which play functions of sexual development in both males and females. Sex hormones are those hormones which controls the growth and development of secondary sexual characters and they play important role in reproduction. These sex hormones are produced by the adrenal gland and the gonads which are ovaries in female and testes in male.

Complete answer:
They are named as sex hormones because these are responsible for the male and female sexual characteristics and these are the hormones which play important role in reproduction.
In females:
> It is secreted by ovaries.
> The main sex hormones are estrogen and progesterone.
The function of estrogen is:
> Development of breast
> The regulation of menstrual cycle
> Maturation of endometrium which is the inner lining of the uterus.
The function of Progesterone is:
> It stabilizes menstrual cycles.
> It helps to prepare the body for pregnancy.
> If the progesterone is low there it can lead to irregular periods, there can be complications in the pregnancy.
In males:
> It is secreted by testes
> The main sex hormone is Testosterone.
The function of testosterone is:
> It is responsible for the production of sperms.
> It regulates sexual development, muscle mass, secondary sexual characters like appearance of beard, harshness in voice.
> It is responsible for red blood cells production.

Overall in males and females both, sex hormones perform functions:
> Puberty
> Sexual development
> Promoting hair growth
> Reproduction
> Regulate bone and muscle strength
> Regulate cholesterol level
> Sexual desire

Note: Sex hormones are the hormones which are responsible for growth and sexual development in both males and females, there are mainly three types of sex hormones which are estrogen and progesterone in females and testosterone in males. They are named as sex hormones because these are responsible for the male and female sexual characteristics.