Corticotropic

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Relating to or acting upon the adrenal cortex, especially by stimulating the release of its hormones
2. Describing a substance or hormone that stimulates the outer layer of the adrenal gland to secrete steroids
3. Affecting the adrenal cortex in a way that prompts it to produce and release its characteristic hormones

Etymology: Corticotropic is built from two parts. The first, "cortico-", is a combining form drawn from "cortex," the Latin word for bark or outer layer, and in modern science it refers to the adrenal cortex, the outer layer of the adrenal gland. The second, "-tropic," comes from Greek "tropos," meaning a turning or direction, and appears in English words for things that act on or turn toward something specific. Put together, the word describes something that acts on or is directed toward the adrenal cortex. It is typically applied to hormones, most famously the pituitary hormone that stimulates the adrenal cortex to release its steroids, and to the drugs and substances that mimic or influence that action. The word is a technical coinage made from classical roots, so its meaning rests on the modern scientific sense of "cortex" rather than on any ancient usage.

Synonyms: corticotrophic, adrenocorticotropic