Problems in the use of chemical and functional nomenclatures for steroids in human physiology, biology and pharmacology
John W. Honour · 2026
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Description
John Honour wrote this 2026 review on the muddle of steroid naming across medicine and biology. Steroids, the body's chemical messengers, carry two naming systems at once. Chemical names follow strict rules based on ring structure and attached groups. Functional names instead describe where a steroid comes from, what it does, or where it is used in the clinic.
The two logics collide constantly, and fields apply them unevenly, so the same name can mislead across a lab bench and a ward. Receptor variety, genetics, cancer biology, and the microbiome each add fresh twists. Honour walks through the foundations of both systems and catalogs the clash points. He closes with practical proposals for sharper, more consistent usage in journals.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | John W. Honour |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 38 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |