Which hormone is primarily responsible for sexual maturation of males?

Which hormone is primarily responsible for sexual maturation of males?

• A. Testosterone
• B. Estrogen
• C. Progesterone
• D. Androgen

Answer: (A)

Testosterone is the hormone responsible for male sexual maturation. It is the primary male sex hormone produced by the testes and drives the development of secondary sexual characteristics during puberty—deepening of the voice, facial and body hair growth, increased muscle mass, changes in body composition, and the growth and function of the reproductive organs, including spermatogenesis. This process is regulated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, with LH stimulating Leydig cells to produce testosterone. Some testosterone is converted to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which further influences the development of external genitalia and other androgen-dependent traits. Estrogen and progesterone play roles in other aspects of puberty and development but are not the primary drivers of male sexual maturation, and an androgen is a class of hormones that includes testosterone rather than a single specific hormone.

Testosterone is the hormone responsible for male sexual maturation. It is the primary male sex hormone produced by the testes and drives the development of secondary sexual characteristics during puberty—deepening of the voice, facial and body hair growth, increased muscle mass, changes in body composition, and the growth and function of the reproductive organs, including spermatogenesis. This process is regulated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, with LH stimulating Leydig cells to produce testosterone. Some testosterone is converted to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which further influences the development of external genitalia and other androgen-dependent traits. Estrogen and progesterone play roles in other aspects of puberty and development but are not the primary drivers of male sexual maturation, and an androgen is a class of hormones that includes testosterone rather than a single specific hormone.