Illegal Anabolic Steroids

             Illegal anabolic steroids are drugs made from the male sex hormone, testosterone. They promote muscle growth and increase lean body mass. Anabolic steroids have many approved medicinal uses, but many teenagers who use them to improve their athletic performance and physical appearance also abuse them. While the outside appearance may look good, what many teenagers do not know is that steroids can cause permanent damage to the human body.
             This paper will go over naturally produced steroids, synthetically produced anabolic steroids and review both the negative physical and psychological effects of anabolic steroids on teenagers.
             Steroids are a class of hormones synthesized from cholesterol. All steroids share the same basic four-ring carbon structure, but are different in the number of carbon atoms attached to the number 17 carbon atom in the structure, and in the number in which hydrogen (H), oxygen (O), and the hydroxyl (OH) groups are attached to the carbon atoms. A steroid, known as corticosteroid, is an anti-inflammatory and breaks tissue down. This is different from the steroid known as anabolic. Anabolic steroids usually refer to synthetically produced steroids, which are derivatives of testosterone. Natural testosterone is the primary sex hormone found in men. The adrenal glands are the main source for testosterone in women, where testosterone is produced in much smaller amounts.
             Testosterone has both anabolic (tissue building) and androgenic (masculinizing) traits. The anabolic effects are mainly muscle growth. The androgenic effects are the development of secondary male sex characteristics.
             Steroids can be administered to the body orally or injected into the body by a syringe. Steroids taken orally moves through the gastrointestinal tract to the liver, where they are processed before going into the blood. Steroids that are injected into the body enter directly into the bloodstream.
             Steroid molecules b...

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Illegal Anabolic Steroids. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 01:01, March 29, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/90254.html