A Diagram of How Estrogens Interact with Estrogen Receptors

A diagram of how estrogens, such as 17βestradiol, interact with estrogen receptors ERα and ERβ2 of white blood cells. Once activated by estrogenic chemicals the estrogen receptors interact with the cell's DNA. The immune system functions in a delicate balance which can be disrupted by estrogens with the potential to affect disease susceptibility. In the background is an electron micrograph of channel catfish macrophages (42TA cell line). Photo Credit: Jan Lovy, New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife, as modified by David W. Morganwalp, USGS.