STEROIDS: NATURAL, MEDICINAL AND ILLEGAL

he term ‘steroid’ is synonymous with the idea of making something bigger. This idea stems from the misuse of synthetic anabolic steroids, which have been made famous by athletes who have abused steroids to run faster, lift heavier, and grow to enormous, unnatural proportions. But steroids are neither unnatural nor alien to the human body, instead they are essential for it to function. Humans naturally produce a vast array of steroids responsible for an equally diverse spectrum of functions. Steroids are key to defining our sex, they are instrumental in triggering and guiding our maturity, and they are essential to maintaining our health. However, our knowledge and capability to artificially synthesise steroids in the laboratory has unlocked yet more potential for these tiny compounds. Many synthetic steroids are used to bolster