Hormone: A Word Invented in 1905
A hormone is a chemical messenger carried in the blood. The name was coined from a Greek verb meaning to set in motion.
A hormone is a chemical made in one part of the body that travels in the blood to act somewhere else. The word is barely a century old: it was coined in 1905 from Greek *horman*, to set in motion or urge on, which is exactly what a hormone does to the tissue it reaches.
- A chemical messenger in the body. *Growth hormone.*
- A plant regulator. *Rooting hormone.*
- Hormonal — relating to hormones. *Hormonal changes.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | hormone | A stress hormone. |
| Plural | hormones | Hormones rise and fall. |
| Adjective | hormonal | Hormonal treatment. |
| Related | endocrine | The endocrine system. |
| Related | gland | The thyroid gland. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Insulin is the hormone that controls blood sugar.Made in the pancreas.
- Hormonal changes affect sleep.Adjective form.
- Dip the cutting in rooting hormone.Plants have hormones too.
Hormones you have heard of
- Insulin — regulates blood sugar
- Adrenaline — prepares the body for sudden effort
- Cortisol — released under sustained stress
- Melatonin — signals darkness and helps time sleep
- Thyroxine — sets the pace of the body's metabolism
Coined in 1905 by the physiologist Ernest Starling, from Greek *hormon*, setting in motion, the participle of *horman*. It is one of the rare scientific words with a firmly dated birthday.
What is the endocrine system?
The network of glands that make hormones and release them into the blood, including the thyroid, adrenals and pancreas.
Do plants have hormones?
Yes. Plant hormones such as auxin and ethylene control growth, ripening and leaf fall.