Estrogen, one of the female sex hormones, is produced by the body of men and women. The role of estrogen in adolescent females and pre-menopausal women includes the development and maintenance of secondary sex characteristics (including the breasts and other anatomical changes involved in reproduction) and regulation of the menstrual cycle.
In adolescent females and pre-menopausal women, most of the estrogen in the body is produced by the ovaries.
In males and females, small amounts of estrogen also are produced by the cortex of the adrenal gland and fat cells. |