adrenergic
|ad-ren-er-gic|
🇺🇸
/ˌædrəˈnɜːrdʒɪk/
🇬🇧
/ˌædrəˈnɜːdʒɪk/
related to adrenaline
Etymology
'adrenergic' originates from the combination of 'adrenaline' and the suffix '-ergic', where 'adrenaline' refers to the hormone and neurotransmitter, and '-ergic' means 'working' or 'activating'.
'adrenergic' was formed in the 20th century to describe the action of adrenaline on nerve cells.
Initially, it referred specifically to the action of adrenaline, but now it encompasses similar substances acting as neurotransmitters.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
relating to or denoting nerve cells in which adrenaline (epinephrine) or a similar substance acts as a neurotransmitter.
The adrenergic receptors are crucial for the fight or flight response.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/04/28 03:18