The word "steroidal" is a combination of "steroid" and the suffix "-al". The correct pronunciation is /stɛrɔɪdəl/. The first syllable "ster-" is pronounced with the vowel sound /ɛ/ as in "men". The second syllable "-oi-" is pronounced with the diphthong /ɔɪ/ as in "royal". The final syllable "-dal" is pronounced with the schwa sound /əl/ as in "little". Therefore, the correct spelling of this word is "steroidal" and it refers to anything related to steroids.
The term "steroidal" is an adjective referring to any substance, compound, or activity that is related to or similar in structure and function to steroids. Steroids are a group of naturally occurring or artificially synthesized organic compounds with a characteristic structure called a steroid nucleus. This nucleus is composed of four interconnected rings, three containing six carbon atoms and the fourth containing five.
When something is described as "steroidal," it means it shares some properties or functions with steroids. Steroids, particularly those produced in the human body such as cortisol, estrogen, and testosterone, have various important physiological roles. These include regulating metabolism, inflammation, immune response, growth, and development.
In a broader sense, the term "steroidal" also encompasses the use or administration of exogenous steroids, commonly known as anabolic steroids. These are synthetic substances similar to testosterone that are often used, sometimes illegally, to enhance athletic performance or for medical purposes.
Given the broad reach and important functions of steroids in the body, the term "steroidal" can be applied to a wide range of substances or activities that exhibit similar characteristics, such as certain medications used to treat inflammation or specific muscle-strengthening exercises. Additionally, "steroidal" may also describe the chemical structure, properties, or mechanisms of action of certain compounds, particularly those with a steroid-like structure or effect.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "steroidal" is derived from the term "steroid", which itself comes from the German word "Steroide" coined by Adolf Butenandt in 1933. The term "steroid" is a combination of the Greek words "stereos", meaning solid, and "eidos", meaning structure or form. Steroids were initially identified and named for their solid structure. The suffix "-al" in "steroidal" is a common English suffix that denotes relating to or resembling something. Therefore, "steroidal" means relating to or resembling a steroid.