Somatostatins

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A class of peptides that inhibit the release of growth hormone and insulin in the body
2. Compounds that play a role in regulating various physiological processes by suppressing hormone secretion
3. Molecules involved in neuroendocrine regulation, functioning to modulate the activity of various endocrine glands

Etymology: Somatostatin is a hormone that a range of body tissues release to slow down other hormones, and its name is a straightforward piece of scientific construction. The first element, "somato-", comes from the Greek "sōma", meaning "body", and it appears in many medical terms dealing with the body as a whole or its physical structure. The second element, "-statin", is a suffix used for substances that halt or hold back a process, as in names built on the Greek "statikos", meaning "causing to stand" or "stationary". Joined together, the name describes a body-derived agent that keeps other activity in check. The plural "somatostatins" is simply the form used when speaking of more than one such compound, whether several naturally occurring versions or the synthetic variants developed for treatment. Since the base word dates from the 1970s, the plural follows the ordinary English habit of adding an "-s" to a countable noun in technical use.

Synonyms: growth hormone-inhibiting hormones