Estradiol vs Testosterone: what is the difference?

How they differ

These are the two headline sex hormones and one is made from the other. The enzyme aromatase converts testosterone into estradiol by aromatising the first ring, which is visible in the table: estradiol carries a phenol group and testosterone a ketone, and estradiol has lost a carbon at 272.4 against 288.4. Everyone makes both. Testosterone predominates in men and drives muscle, bone density and body hair; estradiol predominates in women and drives the menstrual cycle, and it is also essential to bone health in men, through exactly that aromatase conversion. Both are steroids built from cholesterol, four fused rings apiece.

Side by side

Structural similarity 0.42 of 1, computed as a Morgan fingerprint Tanimoto coefficient. It measures shape, not effect.

Common questions

What is the difference between Estradiol and Testosterone?

These are the two headline sex hormones and one is made from the other. The enzyme aromatase converts testosterone into estradiol by aromatising the first ring, which is visible in the table: estradiol carries a phenol group and testosterone a ketone, and estradiol has lost a carbon at 272.4 against 288.4. Everyone makes both.

Is Estradiol bigger than Testosterone?

Testosterone is the heavier molecule, 288.4 g/mol against 272.4 g/mol for Estradiol. Estradiol is C18H24O2 and Testosterone is C19H28O2.