Term | Definition |
GH (growth hormone), also called somatotropin | Produced by the anterior pituitary gland; promotes growth of all body tissues |
TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) | Produced by the anterior pituitary gland; stimulates thyroid gland to produce thyroid hormones |
ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone) | Produced by the anterior pituitary gland; stimulates adrenal cortex to produce cortical hormones; aids in protecting body in stress situations (injury, pain) |
FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) | Produced by the anterior pituitary gland; stimulates growth and hormonal activity of ovarian follicles; stimulates growth of testes; promotes sperm cell development |
LH (luteinizing hormone) | Produced by the anterior pituitary gland; causes development of corpus luteum at site of ruptured ovarian follicle in female; stimulates testosterone secretion in male |
PRL (prolactin) | Produced by the anterior pituitary gland; stimulates milk secretion by mammary glands |
ADH (antidiuretic hormone; vasopressin) | Produced by the posterior pituitary gland; promotes water reabsorption in kidney tubules; causes blood vessels to constrict |
oxytocin | Produced by the posterior pituitary gland; causes uterine contraction; causes milk ejection from mammary glands |
thyroxine or tetraiodothyronine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) | Produced by the thyroid; increase metabolic rate and heat production, influencing both physical and mental activities; required for normal growth |
parathyroid hormone (PTH) | Produced by the parathyroid; regulates calcium exchange between blood and bones; increases blood calcium level |
cortisol (hydrocortisone) | Produced by the adrenal cortex; aids in metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats; active during stress |
aldosterone | Produced by the adrenal cortex; aids in regulating electrolytes and water balance |
sex hormones | Produced by the adrenal cortex; may influence secondary sexual characteristics |
epinephrine (adrenaline) | Produced by the adrenal medulla; response to stress; increases respiration, blood pressure, and heart rate |
insulin | Produced by the pancreatic islet; aids glucose transport into cells; required for cellular metabolism of nutrients, especially glucose; decreases blood glucose levels |
glucagon | Produced by the pancreatic islet; stimulates liver to release glucose, thereby increasing blood glucose levels |
melatonin | Produced by the pineal; regulates mood, sexual development, and daily cycles in response to environmental light |
testosterone | Produced by the testis; stimulates growth and development of sexual organs plus development of secondary sexual characteristics; stimulates maturation of sperm cells |
estrogen | Produced by the ovaries; stimulates growth of primary sexual organs and development of secondary sexual characteristics |
progesterone | Produced by the ovaries; prepares uterine lining for implantation of fertilized ovum; aids in maintaining pregnancy; stimulates development of mammary glands' secretory tissue |
adrenal gland | A gland on the superior surface of the kidney; the outer region (cortex) secretes steroid hormones; the inner region (medulla) secretes epinephrine (adrenaline) in response to stress (root: adren/o) |
endocrine | Pertaining to a ductless gland that secretes hormones into the blood |
hormone | A secretion of an endocrine gland; a substance that travels in the blood and has a regulatory effect on tissues, organs, or glands |
hypophysis | The pituitary gland; named from hypo, meaning "below," and physis, meaning "growing," because the gland develops below the hypothalamus (root: hypophysi/o) |
pancreatic islet | Cluster of endocrine cells in the pancreas that secretes hormones to regulate glucose metabolism; also called islet of Langerhans or islet cells (root insul/o means "island") |
parathyroid gland | A small endocrine gland on the posterior thyroid that acts to increase blood calcium levels; there are usually four to six parathyroid glands (roots: parathyr/o, parathyroid/o); the name literally means "near the thyroid" |
pineal gland | A small gland in the brain; appears to regulate mood, daily rhythms, and sexual development in response to environmental light; secretes the hormone melatonin |
pituitary gland | A small endocrine gland at the base of the brain; the anterior lobe secrets growth hormone and hormones that stimulate other glands; the posterior lobe releases ADH and oxytocin manufactured in the hypothalamus (root: pituitar/i); hypophysis |
prostaglandins | A group of hormones produced throughout the body that have a variety of effects, including stimulation of uterine contractions and regulation of blood pressure, blood clotting, and inflammation |
receptor | A site on the cell membrane or within the cell to which a substance, such as a hormone, attaches |
steroid hormone | A hormone made from lipids; includes the sex hormones and the hormones of the adrenal cortex |
target tissue | The specific tissue on which a hormone acts; may also be called the target organ |
thyroid gland | An endocrine gland on either side of the larynx and upper trachea; it secretes hormones that affect metabolism and growth (roots: thyr/o, thyroid/o) |
endocrin/o | endocrine glands or system |
pituitar/i | pituitary gland, hypophysis |
hypophysi/o | pituitary gland, hypophysis |
thyr/o, thyroid/o | thyroid gland |
parathyr/o, parathyroid/o | parathyroid gland |
adren/o, adrenal/o | adrenal gland, epinephrine |
adrenocortic/o | adrenal cortex |
insul/o | pancreatic islets |
growth hormone | Hypersecretion results in gigantism (children), acromegaly (adults); hyposecretion results in dwarfism (children) |
antidiuretic hormone | Hypersecretion results in syndrome of inappropriate ADH (SIADH); hyposecretion results in diabetes insipidus |
aldosterone | Hypersecretion results in aldosteronism; hyposecretion results in Addison disease |
cortisol | Hypersecretion results in Cushing syndrome; hyposecretion results in Addison disease |
thyroid hormone | Hypersecretion results in Graves disease, thyrotoxicosis; hyposecretion results in congenital and adult hypothyroidism |
insulin | Hypersecretion results in hypoglycemia; hyposecretion results in diabetes mellitus |
parathyroid hormone | Hypersecretion results in bone degeneration; hyposecretion results in tetany (muscle spasms) |
acromegaly | Overgrowth of bone and soft tissue, especially in the hands, feet, and face, caused by excess growth hormone in an adult; the name comes from acro meaning "extremity" and megal/o meaning "enlargement" |
Addison disease | A disease resulting from deficiency of adrenocortical hormones; it is marked by darkening of the skin, weakness, and alterations in salt and water balance |
adenoma | A neoplasm of a gland |
adult hypothyroidism | A condition caused by hypothyroidism in an adult; there is dry, waxy swelling, most notable in the face; formerly called myxedema |
congenital hypothyroidism | A condition caused by lack of thyroid secretion during development and marked by arrested physical and mental growth; also called infantile hypothyroidism |
Cushing disease | Overactivity of the adrenal cortex resulting from excess production of ACTH by the pituitary |
Cushing syndrome | A condition resulting from an excess of hormones from the adrenal cortex; it is associated with obesity, weakness, hyperglycemia, hypertension, and hirsutism (excess hair growth) |
diabetes insipidus | A disorder caused by insufficient release of ADH from the posterior pituitary; it results in excessive thirst and production of large amounts of very dilute urine; insipidus means "tasteless," referring to the dilution of the urine |
diabetes mellitus (DM) | A disorder of glucose metabolism caused by deficiency of insulin production or inadequate tissue response to insulin; mellitus comes from the Latin root for honey, referring to the urine's glucose content |
type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) | Results from autoimmune destruction of pancreatic islet cells; it generally appears in children and requires insulin administration |
type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) | Generally occurs in obese adults; it is treated with diet, exercise, and drugs to improve insulin production or activity, and sometimes insulin |
exophthalmos | Protrusion of the eyeballs, as seen in Graves disease |
gigantism | Overgrowth caused by excess growth hormone from the pituitary during childhood; also called gigantism |
glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) test | A test that measures the binding of glucose to hemoglobin during the lifespan of a red blood cell; it reflects the average blood glucose level over two to three months and is useful in evaluating long-term therapy for diabetes mellitus |
glycosuria | Excess glucose in the urine |
goiter | Enlargement of the thyroid gland; a simple (nontoxic) goiter is caused by iodine deficiency |
Graves disease | An autoimmune disease resulting in hyperthyroidism; a prominent symptom is exophthalmos (protrusion of the eyeballs); also called diffuse toxic goiter |
hyperglycemia | Excess glucose in the blood |
hypoglycemia | Abnormally low level of glucose in the blood |
insulin shock | A condition resulting from an overdose of insulin, causing hypoglycemia |
ketoacidosis | Acidosis (increased acidity of body fluids) caused by excess ketone bodies, as in diabetes mellitus; diabetic acidosis |
metabolic syndrome | A state of hyperglycemia caused by cellular resistance to insulin, as seen in type 2 diabetes, in association with other metabolic disorders; also called syndrome X or insulin resistance syndrome |
panhypopituitarism | Underactivity of the entire pituitary gland |
tetany | Irritability and spasms of muscles; may be caused by low blood calcium and other factors |
sella turcica | A saddle-shaped depression in the sphenoid bone that contains the pituitary gland (literally means "Turkish saddle") |
sphenoid bone | A bone at the base of the skull that houses the pituitary gland |
adrenogenital syndrome | Condition caused by overproduction of androgens from the adrenal cortex, resulting in masculinization; may be congenital or acquired, usually as a result of an adrenal tumor |
Conn syndrome | Hyperaldosteronism caused by an adrenal tumor |
craniopharyngioma | A benign tumor of the pituitary gland |
Hashimoto disease | A chronic thyroiditis of autoimmune origin |
impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) | High blood glucose levels after glucose intake that may signal borderline diabetes mellitus |
multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) | A hereditary disorder that causes tumors in several endocrine glands; classified according to the combination of glands involved |
pheochromocytoma | A usually benign tumor of the adrenal medulla or other structures containing chromaffin cells (cells that stain with chromium salts) (phe/o means "brown" or "dusky"); the adrenal tumor causes increased production of epinephrine |
pituitary apoplexy | Sudden massive hemorrhage and degeneration of the pituitary gland associated with a pituitary tumor; common symptoms include severe headache, visual problems, and loss of consciousness |
seasonal affective disorder (SAD) | A mood disorder with lethargy, depression, excessive need for sleep, and overeating that generally occurs in winter; thought to be related to melatonin levels as influenced by environmental light |
Simmonds disease | Hypofunction of the anterior pituitary (panhypopituitarism), usually because of an infarction; pituitary cachexia |
thyroid storm | A sudden onset of thyrotoxicosis symptoms occurring in patterns with hyperthyroidism who are untreated or poorly treated; may be brought on by illness or trauma; also called thyroid crisis |
thyrotoxicosis | Condition resulting from overactivity of the thyroid gland; symptoms include anxiety, irritability, weight loss, and sweating; the main example of thyrotoxicosis is Graves disease |
von Recklinghausen disease | Bone degeneration caused by excess production of parathyroid hormone; also called Recklinghausen disease of bone |
fasting plasma glucose (FPG) | Measurement of blood glucose after a fast of at least eight hours; a reading equal to or greater than 126 mg/dL indicates diabetes; also called fasting blood glucose (FBG) or fasting blood sugar (FBS) |
free thyroxine index (FTI, T7) | Calculation based on the amount of T4 present and T3 uptake, used to diagnose thyroid dysfunction |
oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) | Measurement of glucose levels in blood plasma after administration of a challenge dose of glucose to a fasting patient; used to measure patient's ability to metabolize glucose |
radioactive iodine uptake test (RAIU) | A test that measures thyroid uptake of radioactive iodine as an evaluation of thyroid function |
radioimmunoassay (RIA) | A method of measuring very small amounts of a substance, especially hormones, in blood plasma using radioactively labeled hormones and specific antibodies |
thyroid scan | Visualization of the thyroid gland after administration of radioactive iodine |
thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG) test | Test that measures the main protein that binds T4 in the blood |
transsphenoidal adenomectomy | Removal of a pituitary tumor through the sphenoid sinus (space in the sphenoid bone) |
A1c | Glycated hemoglobin (test) |
ACTH | Adrenocorticotropic hormone |
ADH | Antidiuretic hormone |
BS | Blood sugar |
CSII | Continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion |
DM | Diabetes mellitus |
FBG | Fasting blood glucose |
FBS | Fasting blood sugar |
FPG | Fasting plasma glucose |
FSH | Follicle-stimulating hormone |
FTI | Free thyroxine index |
GDM | Gestational diabetes mellitus |
GH | Growth hormone |
HbA1c | Hemoglobin A1 c; glycated hemoglobin |
131I | Iodine-131 (radioactive iodine) |
IFG | Impaired fasting blood glucose |
IGT | Impaired glucose tolerance |
LH | Luteinizing hormone |
MEN | Multiple endocrine neoplasia |
NPH | Neutral protamine Hagedorn (insulin) |
OGTT | Oral glucose tolerance test |
PRL | Prolactin |
PTH | Parathyroid hormone |
RAIU | Radioactive iodine uptake |
RIA | Radioimmunoassay |
SIADH | Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone (secretion) |
T1DM | Type 1 diabetes mellitus |
T2DM | Type 2 diabetes mellitus |
T3 | Triiodothyronine |
T4 | Thyroxine; tetraiodothyronine |
T7 | Free thyroxine index |
TBG | Thyroxine-binding globulin |
TSH | Thyroid-stimulating hormone |