calcitonin
a polypeptide hormone that participates in the regulation of calcium levels in vertebrates by inhibiting loss of calcium from bone to the blood.
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Origin of calcitonin
1Words Nearby calcitonin
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for calcitonin
/ (ˌkælsɪˈtəʊnɪn) /
a hormone secreted by the thyroid that inhibits the release of calcium from the skeleton and prevents a build-up of calcium in the blood: Also called: thyrocalcitonin Compare parathyroid hormone
Origin of calcitonin
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for calcitonin
[ kăl′sĭ-tō′nĭn ]
A peptide hormone secreted by the thyroid gland that stimulates bone formation and lowers blood calcium and phosphate levels.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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