The discovery of chemicals (some natural, some artificial) which mimic the effects of estrogen, or more properly, estradiol and other estrogenic hormones, has caused some concern. Because the number of estrogen mimics and their potency is not fully known, the overall effects cannot be fully calculated at this time. One must also deal with the fact that estrogenic hormones themselves have a wide range of actions. In addition to being potentiators of carcinogens, they can have beneficial effects, such as a reduced tendency towards heart attacks.
At this time, the main focus of this site is the exploration of the structure of estradiol, and of many of the molecules that mimic it in living systems. We can explore in a comparative way these structures to look for similarities. Along the way, I hope you will discover some of the different structural features of estradiol.
This site is intended for use with a standard second-year organic course, so it will be at that level. More advanced users will want to bypass the explanation and get to the structures.
Here is estradiol in flat format, or in various 3D formats:
This site is intended to allow exploration of the chemical structure of estrogenic compounds from a variety of perspectives. There are several general areas:
We hope you find this site of interest.
Comments, suggestions, etc.: please email to rblatchly@keene.edu.