What is the meaning of the prefix Hormone-?

• A. Excite
• B. Expand
• C. Inhibit
• D. Regulate

Answer: (A)

The meaning behind Hormone- is to excite or set in motion a response. The term comes from Greek roots that convey starting an action, like turning on a signal. Hormones act as chemical messengers that trigger activity in distant target tissues, initiating processes and making things happen in the body. While hormones can regulate how strongly or when those processes occur, their fundamental idea is to start or stimulate activity. The other options describe outcomes or broader concepts, but they don’t capture the root sense of “to excite” that the term conveys. So, the best match is Excite.