Gonadial

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Relating to the gonads, which are the reproductive organs responsible for producing gametes
2. Characterizing aspects of sex cells and hormonal activity linked to reproduction
3. Pertaining to the biological functions and structures associated with male and female reproductive organs

Etymology: "Gonadial" is a plain technical formation: it takes "gonad," the name for a sex gland such as an ovary or testis, and adds the adjectival suffix "-ial," which turns a noun into a word meaning "relating to" that noun. So the word simply means "relating to gonads," and the suffix does the grammatical work. The base noun is itself a modern scientific coinage, built from Greek roots. "Gonad" draws on the Greek "gonos," meaning "offspring" or "seed," which also lies behind words like "gonia" and "gonadal." The Greek root points to the reproductive function these glands perform, producing the gametes that carry on a line.