Question

Which of the following hormones is a cholesterol-derivative?
A. Estrogen
B. Prostaglandin
C. Epinephrine
D. All of these

Answer 1

Hint: Cholesterol is a prevalent member of a vast class of lipids known as isoprenoids, which are found in abundance in nature. The name is based on the fact that these molecules are formed by the chemical condensation of isoprene, a simple five-carbon molecule. Isoprenoids include a wide range of biological molecules such as steroid hormones, sterols, bile acids, lipid-soluble vitamins, phytols, and so on.

Complete Step by Step Answer:
Steroid hormones consume only a small portion of the total cholesterol accessible in the organism, but they are vital physiologically. Progestins (active during pregnancy), glucocorticoids (promoting glucose synthesis and preventing inflammatory reactions), mineralocorticoids (controlling ion balances), estrogens (promoting female sex characteristics), and androgens are the five major categories derived from cholesterol (promoting male sex characteristics).

Additional information: Estrogen is a sex hormone that is responsible for the development and regulation of the female reproductive system as well as secondary sex characteristics. Estrogens, like other steroid hormones, easily diffuse across the cell membrane. After entering the cell, they bind to and activate estrogen receptors, modulating the expression of numerous genes. Estrogens are used as medications as well as natural hormones, for example, in menopausal hormone therapy, hormonal birth control, and feminizing hormone therapy for transgender women and nonbinary people.

The correct option is A.

Note: Prostaglandin is produced by an enzyme from the fatty acid arachidonic acid. Each prostaglandin is made up of 20 carbon atoms, including a 5-carbon ring. They are a type of eicosanoid and a type of prostanoid fatty acid derivative. Epinephrine is produced specifically in the adrenal medulla, where the amino acid tyrosine is converted to norepinephrine via a series of reactions.