GLOSSARY/DEFINITION ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
Acromegaly; from Greek; akron, top, extremity AND Greek megas, big. Meaning; a chronic disease
of adults marked by enlargement of the bones of the extremities, face, and jaw that is caused by
over activity of the pituitary gland.
Adrenal; from Greek; ad, near AND renal, kidneys. Meaning; of or relating to the adrenal glands or
their secretions.
Androgens; Meaning; A steroid hormone, such as testosterone or androsterone, that controls the
development and maintenance of masculine characteristics.
Circadian rhythm; from Latin, circ, around AND dis, day. Meaning; a daily rhythmic activity cycle,
based on 24-hour intervals, that is exhibited by many organisms.
Cortisol; MOD MED.Meaning; one of several steroid hormones produced by the adrenal cortex and
resembling cortisone in its action.
Diuresis; from Greek diourein, to urinate. Meaning; excessive discharge of urine.
Encephalitis; from Greek encephalos, brain AND itis, inflammation. Meaning; inflammation of the
brain.
Endocrine; from Greek endon, within AND krinein, to secrete. Meaning; a system of organs that
produces chemicals that go into the blood stream to reach other organs whose functioning they
affect.
Euthyroid; from Greek eu, well AND thyreos, oblong shield. Meaning; having the right amount of
thyroid stimulation.
Exocrine; from Greek exo, outside AND krinein, to secrete. Meaning; externa; secretion glands, such
as sweat galnds that release a secretion through a duct to the surface of an organ.
Exophthalmos; from Greek ex, out AND ophthalmus, eye. Meaning; protusion of one or both
eyeballs.
Gastric; from Greek gaster, stomach. Meaning; pertaining to affecting or originating from the
stomach. ‘A gastric ulcer’.
Gluconeogenesis; from Latin gluco, sugar AND neo, new AND genesis, born from. Meaning;
synthesis of glucose from molecules that are not carbohydrates, such as amino acids and fatty acids.
Glycogen; from Greek glykys, sweet AND genein, to produce. Meaning; a polysaccharide that is the
main form of carbohydrate storage in animals and occurs mainly in liver and muscle tissue.
Hirsutism; from Latin, hirsutus, hairy. Meaning; excessive growth of facial or body hair in women. ‘If
a woman has irregular menses, abrupt hair loss, hirsutism, or acne recurrence, an endocrine
evaluation is appropriate.’
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Hormone; from Greek hormōn, from horman to stir up, urge on, from hormē impulse, move
a chemical substance produced in an endocrine gland and transported in the blood to a certain tissu
e on which it exerts a specific effect.
Hypercalcaemia; from Greek, hyper, high AND Latin, calx, lime AND Greek, haima, blood. Meaning;
an abnormally high level of calcium in the blood, usually more than 10.5 milligrams per deciliter of
blood.
Hyperglycaemia; from Greek hyper, high AND glykys, sweet AND haima, blood. Meaning; an
abnormally high concentration of glucose in the blood, a feature of diabetes mellitus.
Hyperkinesis; from Greek hyper, high AND kinēsis, motion. Meaning; excessive motion. ‘Symptoms
but not impact fell significantly in children with hyperkinesis.’
Hyperpigmentation; from Greek, hyper AND Latin, pigmentum, paint. Meaning; Hyperpigmentation
is the increase in the natural colour of the skin.
Hyperplasia; from Greek, hyper, high AND plassein, to mold. Meaning; abnormal increase in the
number of normal cells in normal arrangement in an organ or tissue, which increases its volume.
‘Hyperplasia of the endocrine cells’
Hypoglycaemia from Greek hypo, below AND glykys, sweet AND haima, blood. Meaning; An
abnormally low concentration of glucose in the circulating blood.
Hypothalamus; from Greek, hypo, below AND thalamos, chamber. Meaning; the part of the brain
that lies below the thalamus, forming the major portion of the ventral region of the diencephalon,
and that regulates bodily temperature, certain metabolic processes, and other autonomic activities.
Iatrogenic; from Greek, iatros, physician, genein, to produce. Meaning; resulting from the activity of
physicians; said of any adverse condition in a patient resulting from treatment by a physician or
surgeon. ‘Drugs may cause side effects which can lead to iatrogenic disease’.
Immunosuppressive; MOD MED. MenANing; any agent that suppresses the immune response of an
individual.
Ketoacidosis; from Greek, keton, form of acetone AND Latin, acidus, sour AND osis, condition.
Meaning; acidosis caused by the increased production of ketone bodies, as in diabetic acidosis.
Ketones; from Greek, keton, form of acetone. Meaning; any of a class of organic compounds
containing the carbonyl group, whose carbon atom is joined to two other carbon atoms, i.e., with
the carbonyl group occurring within the carbon chain.
Lipolysis; from Greek lipo, fat, AND lysis, dissolution. Meaning; the breakdown or destruction of
fats.
Macroangiopathy; from Greek, macro, large, AND angio, vessel, AND pathy, disease. Meaning; an
angiopathy of the greater blood vessels. Fat and blood clots build up in the large blood vessels, stick
to the vessel walls, and block the flow of blood.
Mammary; from Latin, mamma, breast. Meaning; of or relating to a breast or mamma.
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Maturation; from Latin, maturare, to ripen. Meaning; the process by which stem cells transform
from immature cells without a specific function into a particular type of blood cell with defined
functions.
Melanocyte; from Greek, melas, black AND kytos, cell. Meaning; an epidermal cell capable of
synthesizing melanin.
Menorrhagia; from Latin, men, month AND rhagia, to burst forth. Meaning; abnormally heavy or
extended menstrual flow.
Microangiopathy; from Greek, micro, small, AND angio, vessel, AND pathy, disease. Meaning; a
disease of the small blood vessels. Examples are diabetic microangiopathy, in which the basement
membrane of capillaries thickens, and thrombotic microangiopathy, in which thrombi form in the
arterioles and capillaries.
Nephropathy; from Greek, nephros, kidney AND pathos, disease. Meaning; disease of the kidneys.
Oligomenorrhoea; from Greek, oligos, few AND men, month AND rhoia, flow. Meaning; abnormally
light or infrequent menstruation.
Osteoclast; from Greek, osteon, bone AND klasis, breaking. Meaning; a large multinuclear cell
associated with absorption and removal of bone.
Ovaries; Latin ovum. Meaning; female sex organs that make eggs and female hormones.
Paracrine; from Greek para AND krinō, to separate. Meaning; relating to the release of locally acting
substances from endocrine cells.
Para-thyroids; from Greek para, beside AND thyroid, thyroid. Meaning; four small endocrine bodies
in the region of the thyroid gland; they contain two types of cells: chief cells and oxyphils.
Pineal: from Latin, pineus, pine cone. Meaning; a small conical structure attached by a stalk to the
posterior wall of the third ventricle; it secretes melatonin.
Pituitary; from Latin pituita, a phlegm. Meaning; A gland located at the base of the brain that
produces a number of hormones, including those that regulate growth and reproductive functions.
Polydipsia; from Greek, polys, many AND dipsa, thirst. Meaning; excessive or abnormal thirst.
Polyphagia; from Greek, polys, many AND phagein, to eat. Meaning; excessive eating; gluttony.
Polyuria; from Greek, polys, many AND ouron, urine. Meaning; Excessive production of urine.
Proptosis; from Latin, pro, before AND ptosis, falling. Meaning; Forward displacement of an organ,
especially an eyeball. ‘Signs of orbital injury include periorbital ecchymosis, edema, proptosis, and
bony step-offs of the orbital rim.’
Proteolysis; from Greek, proteios, protein AND lysis, loosening or break apart. Meaning; a process
in which water added to the peptide bonds of proteins breaks down the protein molecule into
simpler substances. Numerous enzymes may catalyse this process.
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Retinopathy; from Latin, rete, retina AND Greek, pathos, disease. Meaning; any non-inflammatory
disease of the retina.
Salivary: from Latin, salivarius. Meaning; of, relating to, or producing saliva.
Sebaceous; from Latin, sebaceous, oily, fatty. Meaning; of, resembling, or characterized by fat or
sebum; fatty.
Spermatogenesis; from Greek, sperma, sperm AND genesis, origin. Meaning; formation and
development of spermatozoa by meiosis and spermiogenesis.
Testes; from Latin testis (pl). Meaning; the two male gonads that produce sperm and testosterone.
Thymus; from Greek, thymos, thyme, flowers. Meaning; a bilaterally symmetrical lymphoid organ
consisting of two pyramidal lobules situated in the anterior superior mediastinum, each lobule
consisting of an outer cortex, rich in lymphocytes and an inner medulla, rich in epithelial cells.
Thyroid; from atin. thyreos, an oblong shield, AND eidos, form. Meaning; an endocrine gland
consisting of two lobes, one on each side of the trachea, joined by a narrow isthmus, producing
hormones (thyroxine and triiodothyronine), which require iodine for their elaboration and which are
concerned in regulating metabolic rate; it also secretes calcitonin.
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