Chromaffin

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. A specific type of endocrine cell that generates catecholamines is involved in the synthesis and secretion of hormones like epinephrine and norepinephrine while playing a crucial role in stress responses
2. Relating to a group of cells that take up chromium salts and secrete hormones such as adrenaline in response to stress
3. Describing specialized endocrine cells that stain with chromium and release catecholamine compounds involved in the body's fight-or-flight reaction

Etymology: Chromaffin is a modern scientific coinage, built from two parts: "chromium," the metal named for the Greek "khrōma" ("colour") because its compounds are so intensely coloured, and "affinity," meaning a natural attraction or liking. The name describes a tissue that takes up chrome-based dyes readily. Cells in the adrenal medulla, the core of the adrenal glands, were the classic example, and their staining behaviour is what gave the term its meaning. The word belongs to the same family of coinages as "chromophil," which describes cells that stain easily, and "chromaffin" marks out cells that bind chromium salts in a particular way. Those cells produce adrenaline and noradrenaline, the catecholamines that prepare the body for fight or flight.