According to the traditional model, steroid hormones bind to intracellular receptors and subsequently modulate transcription and protein synthesis, thus triggering genomic events finally responsible for delayed effects. In addition, very rapid effects of steroids mainly affecting intracellular signaling have been widely recognized which are clearly incompatible with the genomic model. These rapid, non-genomic steroid actions are likely to be transmitted via specific membrane receptors. Evidences for non-genomic steroid effects and distinct receptors involved are now presented for all steroid groups including vitamin D(3) and thyroid hormones. Mechanisms of action are being studied with regard to signal perception and transduction involved, and for various steroids including aldosterone a patchy sketch of a membrane receptor/second messenger cascade shows up being not essentially dissimilar to cascades involved in catecholamine or peptide hormone action. Aside non-classical membrane receptors with a high affinity for aldosterone, these effects involve phospholipase C, phosphoinositide turnover, intracellular pH and calcium, protein kinase C and tyrosine kinases. Increasing evidence is being accumulated for rapid physiological responses in humans, e.g. at the level of circulatory or metabolic effects, rendering clinical significance to these rapid actions.