DESCRIPTION
Testosterone is a sex hormone found mostly in males that stimulates the development of both primary and secondary sexual characteristics throughout puberty. It is also prevalent in females, albeit in less amounts, and plays various key roles in the female physiological system.
The effects of testosterone usually become apparent within the first several weeks of intrauterine life. The presence of the Y chromosome within the uterus causes the development of the primordial testes around the seventh week of gestation. Once developed, the primordial testes start producing testosterone and Mullerian Inhibiting Factor, which are required for the baby to differentiate into a male rather than a female.
In the last months of fetal life, testosterone released in the uterus causes the development of male primary physical traits such as the epididymis, vas deferens, seminal vesicles, penis, prostate gland, and the fall of the testicles into the scrotum.12
Males see a large increase in testosterone production and release during puberty. The hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis regulates this rise in testosterone production. The hypothalamus in the brain secretes gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), which travels down to the anterior pituitary gland via the hypothalamic-hypophyseal portal system. GnRH stimulates the release of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) in the anterior pituitary gland.
The released LH stimulates the Leydig cells in the testes, increasing the quantity of testosterone generated. When testosterone is released, it promotes the development of secondary sexual characteristics in males, such as bigger genitalia, greater desire, sperm production, voice deepening, and the formation of male hair patterns on the body.
In addition to developing male secondary sexual characteristics, testosterone performs other important activities within the body. Among these functions are:
Testosterone has a hypertrophic and hyperplastic effect on muscle fibers in the skeletal muscular system. Because of the hypertrophic effects of testosterone, there is a considerable increase in muscular growth during puberty. Testosterone treatment has been demonstrated to help males experiencing muscle loss related to age.
Testosterone has an important role in the formation and maintenance of bone growth. It is transformed to estradiol by the enzyme aromatase; estradiol reduces bone breakdown by blocking bone resorption by osteoclasts. Furthermore, the enzyme 5-alpha reductase converts testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT); DHT promotes bone osteoblasts and bone formation.4
Blood: In males, testosterone stimulates the creation of red blood cells. This is one of the reasons why guys tend to have higher red blood cell numbers than females. The mechanism through which testosterone promotes red blood cell formation is not entirely understood and is being studied.
Brain: According to certain research, testosterone levels in the body have an effect on guys’ ability to reason and do other higher mental tasks. According to these research, most men who suffer from hypogonadism due to low testosterone may have some degree of memory impairment, as well as reduced verbal and visual ability.6
Mood: Though it is similarly poorly understood, testosterone levels in the body have been found to influence male mood and behavior. There is a link between male hypogonadism and depressive moods. Following treatment with testosterone supplements, males with hypogonadism showed an improvement in mood.
Testosterone enanthate is an injectable testosterone supplement used to treat low testosterone and other hypogonadism symptoms in men. It is a slow-release oil-based ester that can be given intramuscularly or subcutaneously, depending on the desire of the health care practitioner or the individual getting the injection. It was initially used clinically as a therapy for low testosterone in 1937, and its use by males has grown dramatically since then.
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