386 



CELLS, TISSUES, AND ORGANISMS 



Androgen production with age. Androgens from the testis and 

 adrenal gland are excreted in part as 17-ketosteroids, and the measure- 

 ment of urinary 17-ketosteroids serves as an index of androgen pro- 

 duction. By determining urinary 17-ketosteroids after orchidectomy or 

 adrenalectomy, the proportion contributed by each organ can be de- 

 termined. The adult male excretes an average of 14 mg. of ketosteroids 

 per day. Of this amount, about 9 mg. is believed to be derived from 

 the adrenal glands. The adult woman excretes 8 to 10 mg. of keto- 

 steroids per day, presumably all of the end product coming from 

 adrenal androgens ( cf. Dorfman and Shipley, 1956 ) . 



Children under seven years of age excrete little if any 17-keto- 

 steroids ( Figure 2 ) . Excretion begins to increase at approximately the 

 eighth or ninth year, the rise continuing through the fifteenth or eight- 

 eenth year (Talbot et ah, 1943). There is no significant difiFerence in 

 excretion between sexes before puberty. Further, the ketosteroids ex- 

 creted before puberty are generally thought to be derived from adrenal 

 androgens. The greater increase in 17-ketosteroid excretion that occurs 



34 5 6 78 9 10 II 

 AGE IN YEARS 



12 13 14 15 16 17 18 



Figure 2. Urinary excretion of 17-ketosteroids in boys and girls of different ages, 

 (o female; •male.) Male average is higher than in female, although overlap exists. 

 (Data from Talbot, Butler, et. al, 1943.) 



