Steroid Hormone Action Diagram – Receptor to Protein

All 13 parts on the diagram

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A steroid hormone, step by step 10

Steroid hormone A hormone made from cholesterol. It is fat-soluble, so it can pass through the membrane.
Carrier protein A protein in the blood that the hormone binds to. It carries the hormone toward its target cells.
Plasma membrane The boundary of the target cell. A steroid hormone passes straight through it.
Intracellular receptor A protein inside the cell that binds the hormone. Some wait in the cytoplasm, others in the nucleus.
Heat shock protein It holds the empty receptor. It lets go when the hormone binds.
Hormone-receptor complex Hormone and receptor joined. It moves into the nucleus and binds the DNA, usually as a pair.
Nucleus It holds the DNA. The complex acts here, on genes.
Response element (HRE) A short stretch of DNA that the complex binds. It lies in the promoter of a gene the hormone controls.
mRNA The gene is transcribed into mRNA. The mRNA is then translated into protein.
New protein The protein made from the mRNA. It changes what the cell does.

A peptide hormone, for contrast 3

Peptide hormone A hormone that cannot cross the membrane. It stays outside as the first messenger.
Membrane receptor A protein in the plasma membrane. The hormone binds to the part outside the cell.
Second messenger A small molecule made inside the cell. It passes the signal of the hormone on.

How this list was compiled: Every name checked on 2026-10-03 against Colorado State University, VIVO Pathophysiology: Hormones with Intracellular Receptors, Hormones with Cell Surface Receptors, Hormone Chemistry and Steroidogenesis; Kimball's Biology Pages: Steroid Hormone Receptors, and Second Messengers; Wikipedia: Steroid hormone, Nuclear receptor, Second messenger system and Steroid, text only; and an open-access review of steroid receptors (Endocrine Reviews, 2022) read in full text through Europe PMC. Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-10-03 from plain geometry; nothing traced. Licence: own work

How it works

A steroid hormone is fat-soluble, so it crosses the plasma membrane and binds a receptor inside its target cell. The pair then switches genes on or off. Label each structure in order, then the peptide hormone drawn for contrast.

Read the full guide

A steroid hormone: straight to the DNA

The hormone arrives in the blood on a carrier protein, crosses the plasma membrane and binds its receptor, which lets go of a heat shock protein. The hormone-receptor complex binds a response element on the DNA in the nucleus. The gene is transcribed into mRNA, and a new protein is made.

A peptide hormone: a message passed inward

A peptide hormone cannot cross the membrane. It binds a receptor on the cell surface, and a second messenger such as cyclic AMP carries the signal on inside the cell.

Where the receptor waits differs by hormone: some are in the cytoplasm, as drawn here, and some are already in the nucleus.

Questions and answers

How does a steroid hormone act on a target cell?

It passes through the plasma membrane and binds a receptor inside the cell. The hormone-receptor complex binds a response element on the DNA and changes how much certain genes are transcribed, so the cell makes more or less of certain proteins.

How do I label the structure involved in stimulation by a steroid hormone?

In order: steroid hormone, carrier protein, plasma membrane, receptor, hormone-receptor complex, nucleus, response element on the DNA, mRNA and new protein. The drawing here is the site's own, so its layout may differ from the one in a course.

Where are steroid hormone receptors found?

Inside the target cell, in the cytoplasm or in the nucleus, depending on the hormone. A receptor that waits in the cytoplasm moves into the nucleus once the hormone has bound to it.

How is a steroid hormone different from a peptide hormone?

A steroid hormone enters the cell and its receptor acts on genes directly. A peptide hormone stays outside, binds a receptor in the membrane, and relies on a second messenger to carry its signal into the cell.