Medical Terminology Simplified

Boldfaceindicates a word root or combining form. Blueindicates a suffix. Pinkindicates a prefix.

400 CHAPTER 9• Endocrine and Nervous Systems

9–4 Hormones have four key characteristics. They are:

• chemical substances produced by specialized cells of the body;


• released slowly in minute amounts directly into the bloodstream;


• produced primarily by the endocrine glands;


• almost all inactivated or excreted by the liver and kidneys.

9-5 Refer to Frame 9-4 to complete this frame.

List four common characteristics of hormones.

1.

2.

3.

4.

9–6 Endo/crine gland dysfunction may result in hypo/secretion or hyper/

secretion of its hormones. The prefix hyper-means excessive, above normal.The pre-

fix hypo-means under, below, deficient.

Build medical terms that mean

excessive secretion:____________________ / ____________________

deficient secretion:__________ / ____________________

Pituitary Gland

9–7 The tiny (1) pituitary gland,also called the hypophysis,secretes at least

eight major hormones. It is one of the most important endocrine glands, because

its secretions influence the functions of many organs in the body, as illustrated in

Figure 9–2. Located below the brain, it is no larger than a pea. Label the pituitary

gland in Figure 9–3.

9–8 The pituitary gland consists of two distinct portions: an anter/ior lobe and a

poster/ior lobe.

The front lobe is called the____________________ / __________lobe.

The back lobe is called the____________________ / __________lobe.

To check answers, refer

to Frame 9–4.

hyper/secretion

hī-pĕr-sē-KRĒ-shŭn

hypo/secretion

hī-pō-sē-KRĒ-shŭn

anter/ior

ăn-TĒ-rē-or

poster/ior

pŏs-TĒ-rē-or