Question:medium
Major adrenal androgen is?
Major adrenal androgen is?
Show Hint
Think zona reticularis: the chief adrenal androgen is a 17-ketosteroid, not testosterone.
Updated On: Jun 24, 2026
- Testosterone
- 11-hydroxy derivative of androstenedione
- 17-ketosteroid dehydroepiandrosterone
- Cortisol
Show Solution
The Correct Option is C
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: The question asks which androgen is produced predominantly by the adrenal gland rather than the gonad. Recall that adrenal androgens originate from the innermost cortical layer, the zona reticularis.
Step 2: The quantitatively most abundant adrenal androgen is dehydroepiandrosterone, classified chemically as a 17-ketosteroid. Its sulphated form DHEAS circulates in high concentration, confirming DHEA as the chief adrenal androgen.
Step 3: Eliminating distractors: testosterone is overwhelmingly testicular in origin, so it does not fit an adrenal-specific question. Cortisol belongs to the glucocorticoid class and exerts no significant androgenic role. The minor 11-hydroxy androstenedione derivative is not the leading adrenal androgen.
Step 4: Therefore the correct response is the 17-ketosteroid DHEA.
\[\boxed{\text{17-ketosteroid dehydroepiandrosterone}}\]
Step 2: The quantitatively most abundant adrenal androgen is dehydroepiandrosterone, classified chemically as a 17-ketosteroid. Its sulphated form DHEAS circulates in high concentration, confirming DHEA as the chief adrenal androgen.
Step 3: Eliminating distractors: testosterone is overwhelmingly testicular in origin, so it does not fit an adrenal-specific question. Cortisol belongs to the glucocorticoid class and exerts no significant androgenic role. The minor 11-hydroxy androstenedione derivative is not the leading adrenal androgen.
Step 4: Therefore the correct response is the 17-ketosteroid DHEA.
\[\boxed{\text{17-ketosteroid dehydroepiandrosterone}}\]
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