Testosterone vs Dihydrotestosterone: what is the difference?

How they differ

Dihydrotestosterone is testosterone with one double bond reduced, made by the enzyme 5 alpha reductase in skin, prostate and hair follicles. It binds the same androgen receptor but far more tightly, so it is the more potent of the two at the tissues that make it. That local conversion is the point of the pair: testosterone circulates as the general signal, and DHT is the amplified local version in specific tissues. It is DHT rather than testosterone that drives male pattern hair loss and prostate growth, which is why finasteride works by blocking the enzyme that makes it rather than by lowering testosterone. The weights differ by two hydrogens, 290.4 against 288.4.

Side by side

Structural similarity 0.50 of 1, computed as a Morgan fingerprint Tanimoto coefficient. It measures shape, not effect.

Common questions

What is the difference between Testosterone and Dihydrotestosterone?

Dihydrotestosterone is testosterone with one double bond reduced, made by the enzyme 5 alpha reductase in skin, prostate and hair follicles. It binds the same androgen receptor but far more tightly, so it is the more potent of the two at the tissues that make it. That local conversion is the point of the pair: testosterone circulates as the general signal, and DHT is the amplified local version in specific tissues.

Is Testosterone bigger than Dihydrotestosterone?

Dihydrotestosterone is the heavier molecule, 290.4 g/mol against 288.4 g/mol for Testosterone. Testosterone is C19H28O2 and Dihydrotestosterone is C19H30O2.