What Is Testosterone and Why Is It Important?

Humans are recreational creatures, and indeed they do engage in many recreational activities like sports, eating and socializing, but by far, the most popular recreational activity for humans is sex.

Of course, a man cannot perform the sexual act without a penis, but central to a man's sexual performance, is a mysterious hormone known as testosterone.

Testosterone is the engine that drives the sexual performance in males, and to some degree, the sexual performance in females.

Testosterone, also known as the “male hormone”, is an anabolic steroid produced by the pituitary gland in the brain. Testosterone levels are about 7 to 8 times greater in males than in females. Studies have shown that women who have high testosterone levels have a high libido.

Testosterone is primarily associated with the development of the male reproductive system including the penis, testicles and prostate gland, and regulates a host of other male functions such as semen production, sperm production, libido, erection and fertility. Testosterone is also responsible for clitoris development in women.

In conjunction with the human growth hormone (HGH), testosterone also plays a major role in the growth of bone mass, muscle mass and strength, fat distribution, red blood cell production, and the growth of body hair.

Testosterone is produced by the testicles in males, and to a lesser quantity, the ovaries in females. Women who have a higher degree of testosterone develop prominent male features such as muscle, smaller breasts and body hair.

Testosterone production in males begins at the seventh week of the embryonic age and peaks during puberty from as early as age 11 – 14, and continues until age 35 – 40, when it begins to decline at the rate 1% per year.

For most men, testosterone decline is unnoticeable at first, but by age 70, the average man's testosterone production drops to 30% below its peak. However, studies show that testosterone levels remain within normal in at least 75% of older men, which explains why many men can father children in their 80s and beyond.

A decline in testosterone to below normal healthy levels spells doom for men. It can lead to a variety of undesirable conditions like infertility (hypogonadism), low sperm count, low libido, erectile dysfunction, thin bone mass and obesity, which can result in other related conditions such as depression, mood swings, low self-esteem, low self-confidence, insomnia (sleeplessness) and amnesia (memory loss).

There’s much debate and superstition surrounding the connection between testosterone and penis size. However, the male sexual organ is as vital to a man as his very soul.