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oestrogen

(Science: endocrinology, hormone) A generic term for oestrus producing steroid compounds, the female sex hormones.

In humans, oestrogen is formed in the ovary, possibly the adrenal cortex, the testis and the foetoplacental unit, it has various functions in both sexes. It is responsible for the development of the female secondary sex characteristics and during the menstrual cycle it acts on the female genitalia to produce an environment suitable for the fertilization, implantation and nutrition of the early embryo.

Oestrogen is used in oral contraceptives and as a palliative in cancer of the breast after menopause and cancer of the prostate, other uses include the relief of the discomforts of menopause, inhibition of lactation and treatment of osteoporosis, threatened abortion and various functional ovarian disorders. A general term for female steroid sex hormones that are secreted by the ovary and responsible for typical female sexual characteristics.A female [[hormone produced in the [[ ovary beginning at [[puberty, which promotes the presence of secondary sexual characteristics and is also found in small amounts in males.