Steroid hormones can cross the plasma membrane to bind to a receptor in the cytosol or nucleus.

This is because steroid hormones are lipid-soluble (fat-soluble) due to their chemical structure. This allows them to easily pass through the fatty layer (phospholipid bilayer) of the plasma membrane. Once inside the cell, they can bind to receptor proteins located either in the cytosol ( cytoplasm ) or the nucleus, depending on the specific hormone.