Definition

Noun: A hormone produced and secreted by the G-cells in the lining of the stomach and duodenum. Its primary function is to stimulate the secretion of gastric acid (hydrochloric acid) by the parietal cells of the stomach, which is essential for digestion.

Usage

Gastrin is a specific biological term used in medical and physiological contexts. It refers to the hormone itself, its physiological role, or its levels in the body. * The doctor measured the patient's serum gastrin levels. * Gastrin release is triggered by the presence of food in the stomach. * A tumor causing excessive gastrin secretion is called a gastrinoma.

Advanced Usage

• "Gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP)": A neuropeptide that stimulates the release of gastrin.
• "Gastrinoma": A tumor, often in the pancreas or duodenum, that secretes gastrin, leading to Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.

Variants and Related Words

• Hypergastrinemia (n): A condition characterized by an abnormally high level of gastrin in the blood.
• Antral G-cell: The specific cell type in the stomach's antrum that secretes gastrin.

Synonyms

• Gastrointestinal hormone
• Peptide hormone (This is a broader category; gastrin is a specific type of peptide hormone.)

Different Meanings

The word "gastrin" has a single, specific meaning in human physiology and does not have other common definitions or usages outside this scientific context.

Noun

1. polypeptide hormone secreted by the mucous lining of the stomach; when peptides and amino acids are present in the small intestine the secretion of gastric acid is stimulated