Question

Steroid hormones are powerful because they can pass easily through cell membranes. Once steroids pass into a cell, what are they able to do?
A. inhibit cell division
B. alter the cell's DNA
C. cause the cell to die
D. damage the cell structure

Answer 1

B. alter the cell's DNA

Explanation: Steroid hormones are lipid-soluble, so they cross the membrane and bind intracellular receptors. The hormone–receptor complex enters the nucleus and acts on DNA to change gene transcription (i.e., alter gene expression). They do not generally cause cell death or physically damage cell structures.