cretinism

n. a condition associated with thyroid deficiency that, if untreated, results in delayed physical growth and intellectual disability. The term is derived from the French word chrétien, (Christian) because many early victims were children of an Alpine Christian sect whose diet was deficient in iodine, a necessary element for the synthesis of thyroid hormone. See athyreosis; congenital hypothyroidism. [first described in 1657 by Austrian physician Wolfgang Hoefer]

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Psychology term of the day

December 19th 2024

genital zone

any of the external reproductive organs and adjacent areas that are capable of producing erotic or sexual sensations. See also erogenous zone.