MICROANATOMY

Detailed explanation-1: -Like cholesterol, steroid hormones are not soluble in water (they are hydrophobic). Because blood is water-based, lipid-derived hormones must travel to their target cell bound to a transport protein.

Detailed explanation-2: -Steroid hormones are insoluble in water; they are carried by transport proteins in blood. As a result, they remain in circulation longer than peptide hormones.

Detailed explanation-3: -All three steroids have low water solubility, which increases considerably at sonication for testosterone and estradiol-17 beta. The phosphatidylcholine vesicles have a very small solubilising capacity for the steroids; about 20 mumol/mol.

Detailed explanation-4: -Because all steroid hormones are derived from cholesterol, they are not soluble in plasma and other body fluids.

Detailed explanation-5: -Steroid hormones are lipid soluble, allowing them to diffuse through the plasma membrane. The actions of steroid hormones can be exerted via nuclear hormone receptors (which are typically slow genomic actions).