Both men and women produce testosterone.
Testosterone is the hormone that causes male characteristics. Muscle tone and mass, facial hair and deepening of the voice are all examples of changes brought about by testosterone flooding the biological system.
Significance
Testosterone is important for both men and women. For a man, it creates easy-to-identify male characteristics. The penis and testicles develop because of a hormone flood that takes place in the womb.
Adrenal Glands
The adrenal glands are above the kidneys in both men and women. Adrenal glands produce many types of hormones, including testosterone and estrogen. In men, the adrenal glands produce less testosterone than the testes.
Ovaries
Testosterone is not strictly a male hormone. Men and women both need it. Women tend to have less than men. In women, the ovaries produce half of the testosterone in her body, while the adrenal glands produce the other half.
Testes
The testes produce 95 percent of a man's testosterone. First, the body releases luteinizing hormone (LH). Next, the leydig cells inside the testicles respond by producing testosterone. Finally, the testosterone is released into the bloodstream and carried through out the body.
Complications
In men, too little testosterone can lead to slow onset of puberty, lack of genital growth and delayed maturation in a male. Women with too much testosterone may experience excess facial hair, deepening of the voice and absence of menstruation.
Tags: glands produce, adrenal glands, adrenal glands produce, both women, deepening voice, facial hair, facial hair deepening