erythropoietin

[ ih-rith-roh-poi-i-tn, -poi-eet-n ]

noun

1. Biochemistry. a hormone that stimulates production of red blood cells and hemoglobin in the bone marrow, released in response to low levels of oxygen in the tissues.
2. a synthetic form of this hormone, used as a performance-enhancing drug.

erythropoietin

/ ɪˌrɪθrəʊpɔɪˈiːtɪn /

noun

1. a hormone, secreted by the kidney in response to low levels of oxygen in the tissues, that increases the rate of erythropoiesis. It has been used as a performance-enhancing drug for athletes and racehorses EPO

erythropoietin

/ ĭ-rĭth′rō-poi-ē′tĭn /

1. A glycoprotein hormone, secreted mostly by the kidneys in adults and the liver in children, that stimulates stem cells in the bone marrow to produce red blood cells.

Word History and Origins

Origin of erythropoietin¹

First recorded in 1945–50; erythropoiet(ic) ( def ) + -in ²