Which hormones can supplement sex hormones from the gonads and may be converted into estrogen?

Androgens serve as precursors to estrogens and can be converted into estrogen through a process known as aromatization. In both males and females, androgens produced by the gonads (such as testosterone) and the adrenal glands can be transformed into estrogens, primarily estradiol. This conversion is crucial for maintaining various physiological functions, including reproductive tissue health and secondary sexual characteristics.

Although testosterone is also correct in its role as a precursor to estrogen, androgens refer more broadly to the class of hormones that includes testosterone and others, emphasizing their collective contribution to estrogen synthesis.

Estrogens themselves do not supplement gonadal sex hormones; instead, they are the end product of androgen conversion. Glucocorticoids, meanwhile, are steroid hormones involved in metabolism and immune responses, but they do not directly convert into sex hormones or supplement their function. Therefore, the focus on androgens captures the essence of hormones that can be converted to estrogen and have roles that support gonadal function.