| Abstract | Testosteron, spolni hormon iz skupine steroida, glavni je androgeni hormon muškaraca ali zasigurno i jedan od najvažnijih hormona čitavog organizma muške populacije. Njegovo lučenje, koje je pod kontrolom hipotalamusa i hipofize, igra veliku ulogu u razvoju kako primarnih spolnih karakteristika u fetalnoj dobi, tako i sekundarnih u razdoblju puberteta i kasnije. Lučenje testosterona kod muškaraca uglavnom se odvija u Leydigovim stanicama testisa i malformacija tih stanica uslijed nekih genetskih poremećaja može dovesti do ozbiljnog narušavanja zdravlja pojedinca. Kod žena, koje proizvode 20 puta manje količine testosterona od muškaraca, testosteron proizvode jajnici i nadbubrežna žlijezda. Uloga testosterona kod žena je uglavnom u izgradnji snažnog koštanog i mišićnog sustava te igra ulogu u libidu. Nadalje, luteinizirajući hormon iz adenohipofize koji kod muškaraca šalje signal Leydigovim stanicama za sintezu testosterona, kod žena igra bitnu ulogu u lutealnoj fazi menstrualnog ciklusa te sintezi progesterona i estrogena koji sudjeluju u razvoju žutog tijela. Iako je mnogo poznatiji po svom utjecaju na razvoj vanjskih muških obilježja muškaraca kao što su: dlakavost tijela, produbljenje glasa, snažan razvoj muskulature i kostiju, testosteron ima i velike psihičke učinke na muškarce. Naime, nedostatak testosterona kod muškaraca često dovodi do slabijeg spolnog nagona koji za sobom vodi u depresiju, razdražljivost i neraspoloženja, a također ima utjecaj i na skupljanje masnih naslaga, gubitak mišićne mase, nedostatak koncentracije, a u težim slučajevima dovodi i do erektilne disfunkcije. Također istraživanja pokazuju njegov utjecaj na agresivno ponašanje te veliku korelaciju između povišene razine testosterona i pokazivanja dominacije u sportu i ostalim natjecateljskim formama. Testosteron uvelike pridonosi sretnom i funkcionalnom načinu života muškarca i zato je njegova normalna koncentracija od ključne važnosti u životu. Iako je genetski jako regulirana, postoje vanjski čimbenici na koje valja obratiti pažnju i na taj način reducirati njihov negativan utjecaj na proizvodnju testosterona, pogotovo u starijoj dobi. Razne droge, lijekovi te alkohol jaki su antagonisti proizvodnje testosterona. Loša prehrana i pretežito sjedilački način života također uvjetuju razinu ovog spolnog hormona, a jedan od bitnih faktora je također i stres; najveća pošast 21. stoljeća. Kvalitetnom prehranom, fizičkom aktivnošću i općenito zdravijim načinom života dugoročno možemo doprinijeti regulaciji testosterona i na taj način kvalitetnijem i sretnijem životu. Testosteron je eliksir mladosti i odgovornim ponašanjem osigurajmo i našim poznijim godinama njegove blagodati. |
| Abstract (english) | The sex hormone, testosterone, from the group of steroid hormones, is the main androgenic male hormone and certainly one of the most important male hormones. The production of testosterone, which is under the influence of the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland, plays an important part in the development of primary sex characteristics in the fetal stage of development. It also affects the development of secondary sex characteristics in puberty and later in life. In men, testosterone is produced primarily in the Leydig cells. In the case of some genetic disorders, a malformation of the Leydig cells can lead to serious health problems in men. In women, testosterone is produced by the ovaries and the adrenal glands, and they have, approximately, twenty times less the amount of testosterone than men. The role that testosterone plays in women is mostly in building a strong bone and muscle system, also, it is important to the woman's libido. Furthermore, the luteinizing hormone from the anterior pituitary in men sends the signal to the Leydig cells to start the production of testosterone. In women it plays a very important role in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, as well as the production of progesterone and estrogen which in turn helps make corpus luteum. Even though testosterone is much more popular due to its effect on the development of external male characteristics such as: growth of body hair, change in voice, change in body shape, testosterone also has a psychological influence on men. Testosterone deficiency in men often leads to a decreased sex drive, which can lead to depression and irritability. It also can cause a decrease in muscle mass, with an increase in body fat and weight gain, lack of focus, and in the worse cases it can lead to erectile dysfunction. Additionally, research shows its effect on aggressive behavior, which can be seen in a correlation between high levels of testosterone and expression of dominance in sport and other competitions. Testosterone greatly helps men lead a happy life, which is why its concentration in the body is of such great importance. Even though the production of testosterone is genetically regulated, there are some outside factors which need to be taken into consideration that can disrupt the production of the hormone, especially as a person ages. Different drugs, medications and alcohol are a big threat to the production of testosterone. Likewise, bad diet, little to no exercise and the biggest enemy of the 21st century, stress, can also greatly affect the levels of this hormone in the body. With better diet, physical activity and generally healthier way of life we can have a long term affect on the regulation of testosterone and improve our life's quality. |
