Library · Molecule
Progesterone
Make it clearer
Progesterone is a hormone in the steroid family, which means it is built from cholesterol. It is produced by the cortex of the adrenal glands, which sit on top of the kidneys, and by the gonads, which are the ovaries and the testes.
Its way of working starts at the membrane. Because it is lipophilic, meaning it has an affinity for fat, it passes easily through the cell membrane, which is also made of fat. Inside, it finds its receptor, binds to it, and the whole pair enters the nucleus, where the DNA is.
There it positions itself near the promoter regions, which are the switches of the genes, and it can turn their transcription up or down, changing which proteins that cell makes. It is a key that gets into the archive and decides which blueprints get copied.
In pregnancy it is secreted by the ovary's corpus luteum during the first ten weeks, and from then on by the placenta.
In brief
Progesterone is a steroid hormone derived from cholesterol and made by the adrenal cortex and the gonads.
Because it is lipophilic, it crosses the membrane, binds its receptor in the cytoplasm, and the complex travels to the nucleus.
There it settles near promoter regions and can either enhance or repress a gene's transcription.
A key that reaches the archive and decides which blueprints get copied.
In pregnancy the ovary's corpus luteum secretes it for the first ten weeks, and the placenta after that.
Sources (1)
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingPhysiology, Progesterone, StatPearlsPublished
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated