General Anatomy · Endocrine System · Medium

Parathyroid

Meaning: One of four tiny glands in the neck, behind the butterfly-shaped hormone gland, that regulate blood calcium levels.

In practice: An overactive parathyroid gland caused his high calcium, kidney stones and bone pain.

Word parts

  • para- means beside or near

Many medical words are built from Greek and Latin parts like these, so learning a few helps you work out new terms.

Quick check

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Which word means: The jelly-like substance filling a cell, surrounding the nucleus and holding the organelles.

Which word means: The liquid portion of blood that carries cells and proteins.

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Related words

More general anatomy terms · All medical words