Talk:Steroid

Importance of Wikipedia article as most general gateway to all information on steroids

I would note that the Wikipedia Steroid article consistently appears as the first hit using various web search tools, including Google, and has done so for some time. This observation and a survey of article user feedback—on the negative side, because most responders are looking for quick information on anabolics or therapeutics (e.g., principle inhaled and injected corticosteroids)—and of stray comments in this Talk area, taken together, suggest the need for a lead for this article which is the ultimate in user-friendliness (i.e., rapidly redirecting users to other Wiki steroid articles more on point with their interests). To stimulate discussion, here are quotes from the steroid and sterol introductions from EB (their free online product), which might suggest ways to create such a rapidly redirecting lead. After a few days, anyone desiring to should feel free to collapse or otherwise have this take less space:

Steroid...

[Images of steroid hormones of vertebrates (cortisol, corticosterone, aldosterone, progesterone, beta-estradiol, testosterone)]

"any of a class of natural or synthetic organic compounds characterized by a molecular structure of 17 carbon atoms arranged in four rings. [sic.; and some further compounds with fewer rings deriving directly from these.] Steroids are important in biology, chemistry, and medicine. The steroid group includes all the sex hormones, adrenal cortical hormones, bile acids, and sterols of vertebrates, as well as the molting hormones of insects and many other physiologically active substances of animals and plants. Among the synthetic steroids of therapeutic value are a large number of anti-inflammatory agents, anabolic (growth-stimulating) agents, and oral contraceptives.

Different categories of steroids are frequently distinguished from each other by names that relate to their biological source—e.g., phytosterols (found in plants), adrenal steroids, and bile acids—or to some important physiological function—e.g., progesterones (promoting gestation), androgens (favouring development of masculine characteristics), and cardiotonic steroids (facilitating proper heart function).

Steroids vary from one another in the nature of attached groups, the position of the groups, and the configuration of the steroid nucleus (or gonane). Small modifications in the molecular structures of steroids can produce remarkable differences in their biological activities.

This article covers the history, chemistry, biological significance, and basic pharmacology of steroids. ..."

• http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/565825/steroid

Sterol...

"The most generally abundant steroids are sterols, which occur in all tissues of animals, green plants, and fungi such as yeasts. Evidence for the presence of steroids in bacteria and in primitive blue-green algae is conflicting [sic.; see http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12519197 and the 80+ forward citations of this work]. The major sterols of most tissues are accompanied by traces of their precursors—lanosterol in animals and cycloartenol in plants—and of intermediates between these compounds and their major sterol products. In mammalian skin one precursor of cholesterol, 7-dehydrocholesterol, is converted by solar ultraviolet light to cholecalciferol, vitamin D3 [a secosteroid], which controls calcification of bone by regulating intestinal absorption of calcium. The disease rickets, which results from lack of exposure to sunlight or lack of intake of vitamin D, can be treated by administration of the vitamin or of the corresponding [secosteroid] derivative of ergosterol, ergocalciferol (vitamin D2).

[images of ergosterol and derived secosteroid ergocalciferol]

Sterols are present in tissues both in the nonesterified (free) form and as esters of aliphatic fatty acids. In the disease atherosclerosis, fatty materials containing cholesterol form deposits (plaques), especially in the walls of the major blood vessels, and vascular function may be fatally impaired. The disease has many contributory factors but typically is associated with elevated concentrations of ..."

• http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/565825/steroid/278054/Sterols-and-bile-acids#ref1001786

While I clearly differ with some of this content (therapeutics not as front and center in their intro as they could be, secosteroids discussed before cholesterol-atherosclerosis though not clearly established as steroids upfront, etc.), the extremely broad coverage of their approach is clear, which in Wikipedia's case would allow for very rapid redirection of readers to the specialty articles that are many readers' true interests. Le Prof.

Still no secosteroids, and term partial synthesis still misused

With regard to the first issue, see preceding section.

With regard to the second issue, the use of the Heading "Partial synthesis" to present the material that currently appears is at odds with the generally understood meaning of the chemical term "partial synthesis", see:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semisynthesis
• http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/565825/steroid/278052/Partial-synthesis-of-steroids
• http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2010/np/c001262a#!divAbstract
• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12195809
• Section above, "Partial and Total Chemical Synthesis Section redefined through reversions…"

I don't expect these things to be corrected (because of a persistent personal editor bias), but I will keep calling attention to the discrepancies between literature and article, as time permits. LeProf

Nomenclature

Who can add information about ent-steroids? See https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2668732/

Simon de Danser (talk) 21:35, 12 September 2020 (UTC)

Image which accompanies introduction: molecular structure of 24-ethyl-lanostane, a "hypothetical steroid"

Is there a reason for using the molecular structure of a hypothetical steroid right at the beginning of this article? If there is, it is not evident to me. Clicking the link "24-ethyl-lanostane" takes the reader to an article about lanostane, and this article has no mention of a 24-ethylated version. It seems that 24-ethyl-lanostane is both hypothetical and insignificant, and as such, I propose that this image be replaced by one of the molecular structure of a non-hypothetical steroid. As a layperson I would propose cholesterol, but I'm sure a chemist could come up with a steroid that serves a better illustrative purpose. Anditres (talk) 00:25, 4 April 2022 (UTC)

The whole point of the figure is the numbering system, not the particular steroid. Cholesterol would not work because it does not contain all the potential carbon atoms that a steroid might possess. To reduce confusion, I moved 24-ethyl outside of the lanostane wikilink. Boghog (talk) 18:48, 11 February 2024 (UTC)

Also changed "hypothetical" to "prototypical". Boghog (talk) 19:32, 11 February 2024 (UTC)