a female hormone produced mainly in the ovaries that controls reproductive development and affects bone health, mood, and many other body functions.
Coined in the 1920s from Greek 'estros' (sexual desire, frenzy) and the suffix '-gen' (producing). The name literally means 'producer of estrus,' referring to the heat cycle in animals.
While estrogen is famous for female development, men's bodies produce it too—it's crucial for bone health in everyone! The reason scientists named it after 'frenzy' shows how much less we understood about hormones back then.
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