▁m atur ation ▁of ▁re product ive ▁org ans ▁of ▁the ▁respective ▁gender . ▁ ▁Str ucture ▁ ▁Ad ren oc ort ical ▁h orm ones ▁are ▁considered ▁ster oid ▁h orm ones ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁shared ▁characteristic ▁of ▁a ▁ch ol ester ol ▁back bone . ▁The ▁structures ▁of ▁different ▁ster oid s ▁differ ▁by ▁the ▁types ▁and ▁locations ▁of ▁additional ▁atoms ▁on ▁a ▁ch ol ester ol ▁back bone . ▁The ▁ch ol ester ol ▁back bone ▁consists ▁of ▁four ▁hydro car bon ▁rings , ▁three ▁cy clo hex ane ▁rings ▁and ▁one ▁cy c lop ent ane , ▁that ▁contribute ▁to ▁its ▁ins ol ub ility ▁in ▁a que ous ▁environments . ▁However , ▁the ▁hydro ph ob ic ▁nature ▁allows ▁them ▁to ▁readily ▁diff use ▁through ▁the ▁pl asma ▁memb rane ▁of ▁cells . ▁This ▁is ▁important ▁to ▁the ▁function ▁of ▁ster oid ▁h orm ones ▁as ▁they ▁rely ▁on ▁cell ular ▁response ▁path ways ▁to ▁restore ▁the ▁home ost atic ▁im bal ance ▁that ▁initi ated ▁the ▁h orm one ▁release . ▁ ▁Syn thesis ▁ ▁The ▁synth esis ▁of ▁ad ren oc ort ical ▁ster oid ▁h orm ones ▁involves ▁a ▁chain ▁of ▁ox id ation - redu ction ▁re actions ▁catal yz ed ▁by ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁en zym es . ▁Syn thesis ▁begins ▁with ▁a ▁mole c ule ▁of ▁ch ol ester ol . ▁Through ▁shared ▁inter medi ates ▁and ▁path ways ▁branch ing ▁off ▁those ▁shared ▁inter medi ates , ▁the ▁different ▁classes ▁of