DHT Full Form- Dihydrotestosterone
Updated on 27 February, 2024
upGrad Abroad Team
upGrad abroad Editorial Team
)What is DHT? The full form of DHT is Dihydrotestosterone.
Male-assigned at birth's (AMAB) sexual development is significantly influenced by the hormone DHT.
More precisely, DHT is an androgen, a hormone that promotes the growth of masculine traits. DHT has an impact on people's sexual development at every stage of life, starting in fetal development.
When people who are AMAB move through different phases of life, DHT plays a varied function. Although the effects of DHT on individuals assigned female at birth (AFAB) are unknown, scientists believe it may have an impact on the development of pubic and body hair.
For persons who are AMAB, DHT plays distinct functions at different phases of life.
How is DHT controlled?
- The quantity of testosterone in the body determines how much dihydrotestosterone is produced on a daily basis. More testosterone is converted into DHT as levels of testosterone rise, which raises DHT levels as well.
- Therefore, the hypothalamus and pituitary gland govern testosterone synthesis, which in turn controls DHT concentrations throughout the body.
- Gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH), which is released by the brain in reaction to falling testosterone levels (and therefore falling dihydrotestosterone levels), stimulates the pituitary gland to create and release luteinizing hormone into the circulation.
- After reaching certain cells in the ovaries or testes of men, the hormone luteinizing in the blood causes them to create more testosterone. Higher blood levels of dihydrotestosterone are the consequence of increased conversion of testosterone, which rises with blood levels of testosterone.
- Increases in blood levels of DHT and testosterone have the reciprocal effect of suppressing GnRH production from the hypothalamus, which lowers pituitary hormone synthesis of luteinizing hormone. As a result, the hypothalamus restarts secreting GnRH and negative feedback diminishes, leading to a drop in testosterone levels (and consequently dihydrotestosterone).