What is "tropic hormone"

n. (context biochemistry English) A hormone that regulates the activity of the endocrine glands

Tropic hormones are hormones that have other endocrine glands as their target. Most tropic hormones are produced and secreted by the anterior pituitary. The hypothalamus secretes tropic hormones that target the anterior pituitary, and the thyroid gland secretes thyroxine, which targets the hypothalamus and therefore can be considered a tropic hormone.

The term tropic is from Ancient Greek τροπικός (tropikós), in the sense "of or pertaining to a turn or change", meaning "causing a change, affecting"; this is the same origin as tropic and trope. This should not be confused with trophic, as in similar-sounding trophic hormone – the words and concepts are both unrelated. Tropic hormones are contrasted with non-tropic hormones, which directly stimulate target cells.