What Are Androgens? A Neuroscientific Perspective

Emanuela Brun

Aug 29

4 min read

Androgens are a group of steroid hormones commonly described as “male hormones.” However, this definition is an oversimplification.

Androgens are present and biologically important in both men and women. While their concentrations and patterns of production differ between the sexes, they influence much more than sexual development and reproduction. They also interact with the brain, muscles, bones, metabolism, skin, and several aspects of behaviour.

The best-known androgen is testosterone, but the androgen family also includes dihydrotestosterone (DHT), androstenedione, and DHEA.

Androgens in men

In men, androgens are produced primarily by the testes, with additional androgen production and precursors coming from the adrenal glands.

Testosterone plays a major role in male sexual development, particularly during puberty, contributing to changes such as increased muscle mass, body and facial hair, changes in the voice, and maturation of the reproductive system.

Throughout adulthood, androgens continue to contribute to:

sexual function and libido
muscle mass and strength
bone health
sperm production
red blood cell production
body composition
skin and hair physiology
several aspects of brain function

However, testosterone does not act in isolation. Some testosterone is converted into DHT, a more potent androgen in certain tissues, while some is converted into estradiol through the enzyme aromatase.

This means that testosterone and estrogen are biologically interconnected.

Androgens in women

Women also produce and require androgens.

They are produced primarily by the ovaries and adrenal glands, as well as through the conversion of hormonal precursors in peripheral tissues.

Although androgen concentrations are typically lower in women than in men, they still contribute to several important physiological processes.

In women, androgens influence:

sexual desire
bone health and bone density
maintenance of muscle mass and strength
metabolism and body composition
skin and hair physiology
aspects of energy, mood, and brain function

This is why androgens should not be thought of as hormones that simply “belong” to men.

They are part of normal female physiology as well.

Androgens and the brain

From a neuroscientific perspective, androgens become even more interesting.

Androgen receptors are found throughout the brain, including in regions involved in motivation, emotion, memory, reproductive behaviour, and reward processing.

These include areas such as the hypothalamus, amygdala, hippocampus, and regions of the prefrontal cortex.

When testosterone or other androgens bind to androgen receptors, they can influence cellular activity and gene expression. Their effects can therefore extend beyond immediate changes in neural activity and contribute to longer-term changes in how certain neural systems function.

Androgens can also interact with neurotransmitter systems, including dopaminergic pathways involved in motivation and reward.

This does not mean that more testosterone automatically makes someone more motivated, dominant, aggressive, or confident. Human behaviour is far more complex than the concentration of a single hormone.

Hormones influence the probability and intensity of certain responses within a particular biological and social context. They do not independently determine personality or behaviour.

Testosterone can also act through estrogen

One of the most fascinating aspects of androgen biology is that testosterone does not always influence the brain directly as testosterone.

The enzyme aromatase can convert testosterone into estradiol.

Aromatase is present in several tissues, including parts of the brain. This means that some effects initially associated with testosterone may actually involve estrogen signalling after testosterone has been converted into estradiol.

So the traditional distinction of “testosterone for men” and “estrogen for women” becomes even less accurate when we look at the underlying neurobiology.

The two hormonal systems constantly interact.

What happens when androgen levels are altered in women?

In women, unusually high androgen activity can produce noticeable changes.

One of the best-known examples is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), in which hyperandrogenism is common.

Higher androgen activity can be associated with symptoms such as increased facial or body hair, acne, scalp hair thinning, and menstrual irregularities.

On the other hand, very low androgen activity may also affect aspects of sexual function and other physiological processes, although symptoms cannot be understood from a testosterone measurement alone.

Hormonal effects depend on age, reproductive status, other hormones, receptor sensitivity, medications, health conditions, and many other biological factors.

Androgens, mood, and behaviour

The relationship between androgens and psychology is particularly interesting but often oversimplified.

Testosterone is frequently presented as an “aggression hormone.” In reality, research suggests a much more complex relationship.

Androgens interact with neural systems involved in reward, motivation, social behaviour, threat processing, and status-related behaviour, but how these systems translate into actual behaviour depends heavily on the situation and the individual.

The same biological system may contribute to competitiveness in one environment, assertiveness in another, or motivation toward a personally meaningful goal in another.

Biology creates tendencies and influences responses. It does not write a fixed behavioural script.

Hormones do not work alone

Perhaps the most important thing to understand about androgens is that no hormone operates independently.

Testosterone interacts with estrogen, cortisol, dopamine, other signalling systems, receptor sensitivity, genetics, environmental factors, and previous experiences.

The brain and endocrine system are constantly communicating with each other.

This is why reducing complex human behaviour to statements such as “men have testosterone” or “testosterone causes aggression” misses most of the biology.

Both men and women have androgens.

Both men and women have estrogens.

And in both, these hormones interact continuously with the nervous system.

Understanding androgens therefore means understanding something much bigger than reproductive hormones. It means understanding part of the constant conversation between the brain, body, hormones, and behaviour.

#psychology #psychotherapy #brain #neuroscience #androgens

Androgens are a group of steroid hormones commonly described as “male hormones.” However, this definition is an oversimplification.

The best-known androgen is testosterone, but the androgen family also includes dihydrotestosterone (DHT), androstenedione, and DHEA.

Androgens in men

In men, androgens are produced primarily by the testes, with additional androgen production and precursors coming from the adrenal glands.

Testosterone plays a major role in male sexual development, particularly during puberty, contributing to changes such as increased muscle mass, body and facial hair, changes in the voice, and maturation of the reproductive system.

Throughout adulthood, androgens continue to contribute to:

sexual function and libido

muscle mass and strength

bone health

sperm production

red blood cell production

body composition

skin and hair physiology

several aspects of brain function

However, testosterone does not act in isolation. Some testosterone is converted into DHT, a more potent androgen in certain tissues, while some is converted into estradiol through the enzyme aromatase.

This means that testosterone and estrogen are biologically interconnected.

Androgens in women

Women also produce and require androgens.

They are produced primarily by the ovaries and adrenal glands, as well as through the conversion of hormonal precursors in peripheral tissues.

Although androgen concentrations are typically lower in women than in men, they still contribute to several important physiological processes.

In women, androgens influence:

sexual desire

bone health and bone density

maintenance of muscle mass and strength

metabolism and body composition

skin and hair physiology

aspects of energy, mood, and brain function

This is why androgens should not be thought of as hormones that simply “belong” to men.

They are part of normal female physiology as well.

Androgens and the brain

From a neuroscientific perspective, androgens become even more interesting.

Androgen receptors are found throughout the brain, including in regions involved in motivation, emotion, memory, reproductive behaviour, and reward processing.

These include areas such as the hypothalamus, amygdala, hippocampus, and regions of the prefrontal cortex.

When testosterone or other androgens bind to androgen receptors, they can influence cellular activity and gene expression. Their effects can therefore extend beyond immediate changes in neural activity and contribute to longer-term changes in how certain neural systems function.

Androgens can also interact with neurotransmitter systems, including dopaminergic pathways involved in motivation and reward.

This does not mean that more testosterone automatically makes someone more motivated, dominant, aggressive, or confident. Human behaviour is far more complex than the concentration of a single hormone.

Hormones influence the probability and intensity of certain responses within a particular biological and social context. They do not independently determine personality or behaviour.

Testosterone can also act through estrogen

One of the most fascinating aspects of androgen biology is that testosterone does not always influence the brain directly as testosterone.

The enzyme aromatase can convert testosterone into estradiol.

Aromatase is present in several tissues, including parts of the brain. This means that some effects initially associated with testosterone may actually involve estrogen signalling after testosterone has been converted into estradiol.

So the traditional distinction of “testosterone for men” and “estrogen for women” becomes even less accurate when we look at the underlying neurobiology.

The two hormonal systems constantly interact.

What happens when androgen levels are altered in women?

In women, unusually high androgen activity can produce noticeable changes.

One of the best-known examples is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), in which hyperandrogenism is common.

Higher androgen activity can be associated with symptoms such as increased facial or body hair, acne, scalp hair thinning, and menstrual irregularities.

On the other hand, very low androgen activity may also affect aspects of sexual function and other physiological processes, although symptoms cannot be understood from a testosterone measurement alone.

Hormonal effects depend on age, reproductive status, other hormones, receptor sensitivity, medications, health conditions, and many other biological factors.

Androgens, mood, and behaviour

The relationship between androgens and psychology is particularly interesting but often oversimplified.

Testosterone is frequently presented as an “aggression hormone.” In reality, research suggests a much more complex relationship.

Androgens interact with neural systems involved in reward, motivation, social behaviour, threat processing, and status-related behaviour, but how these systems translate into actual behaviour depends heavily on the situation and the individual.

The same biological system may contribute to competitiveness in one environment, assertiveness in another, or motivation toward a personally meaningful goal in another.

Biology creates tendencies and influences responses. It does not write a fixed behavioural script.

Hormones do not work alone

Perhaps the most important thing to understand about androgens is that no hormone operates independently.

Testosterone interacts with estrogen, cortisol, dopamine, other signalling systems, receptor sensitivity, genetics, environmental factors, and previous experiences.

The brain and endocrine system are constantly communicating with each other.

This is why reducing complex human behaviour to statements such as “men have testosterone” or “testosterone causes aggression” misses most of the biology.

Both men and women have androgens.

Both men and women have estrogens.

And in both, these hormones interact continuously with the nervous system.

Understanding androgens therefore means understanding something much bigger than reproductive hormones. It means understanding part of the constant conversation between the brain, body, hormones, and behaviour.

Comments