Which term means pertaining to influencing the adrenal cortex?

• A. Adrenocorticotropic
• B. Alimentary
• C. Adrenopathy
• D. Amulate

Answer: (A)

The main idea is how medical terms show meaning through their pieces. Adrenocorticotropic breaks down into adreno- (adrenal gland), cortic- (cortex), and -tropic (having an effect on or stimulating). So it literally means something that acts on or stimulates the adrenal cortex, like ACTH doing to promote cortisol release. The other terms don’t convey influence on the cortex: alimentary relates to the digestive tract, adrenopathy is a disease of the adrenal gland, and amulate isn’t a standard term in this context.