steroid

(noun)

A class of organic compounds having a structure of 17 carbon atoms arranged in four rings; they are lipids, and occur naturally as sterols, bile acids, adrenal and sex hormones, and some vitamins; many drugs are synthetic steroids.

Related Terms

Examples of steroid in the following topics:

  • Steroids

    • Sterols are special forms of steroids, with a hydroxyl group at position-3 and a skeleton derived from cholestane.
    • Hundreds of distinct steroids are found in plants, animals, and fungi.
    • All steroids are made in cells either from the cycloartenol (plants) or sterols lanosterol (animals and fungi) .
    • Steroid biosynthesis is an anabolic metabolic pathway that produces steroids from simple precursors.
    • This is the stick model of the steroid lanosterol.

  • Industrial Microorganisms

    • Corynebacterium can also be used in steroid conversion and in the degradation of hydrocarbons.
    • Steroid conversion is an important process in the development of pharmaceuticals.

  • Cytotoxic Autoimmune Reactions

    • Autoimmune diseases are very often treated with steroids.
    • Similarly, involvement of sex steroids is indicated by the fact that many autoimmune diseases tend to fluctuate in accordance with hormonal changes.

  • The Roles of Genetics and Gender in Autoimmune Disease

    • Autoimmune diseases are very often treated with steroids.
    • In addition, involvement of sex steroids is indicated by the fact that many autoimmune diseases tend to fluctuate in accordance with hormonal changes, for example, during pregnancy.

  • Pneumocystis Pneumonia

    • Antipneumocystic medication is used with concomitant steroids in order to avoid inflammation, which causes an exacerbation of symptoms about four days after treatment begins if steroids are not used.

  • Lipid Biosynthesis

    • One important reaction that uses these activated isoprene donors is steroid biosynthesis.
    • Lanosterol can then be converted into other steroids such as cholesterol and ergosterol.

  • Benzoate Catabolism

    • Strains of Rhodococcus are applicably important owing to their ability to catabolize a wide range of compounds and produce bioactive steroids, acrylamide, and acrylic acid, and their involvement in fossil fuel biodesulfurization.

  • Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

    • Natural crude oil and coal deposits contain significant amounts of PAHs from chemical conversion of natural product molecules, such as steroids, to aromatic hydrocarbons.