Main Entry: pros·ta·glan·din

Pronunciation: \ˌpräs-tə-ˈglan-dən\

Function: noun

Etymology: prostate gland + ¹-in; from its occurrence in the seminal fluid of animals

Date: 1936

: any of various oxygenated unsaturated cyclic fatty acids of animals that are formed chiefly by the action of cyclooxygenase on arachidonic acid and perform a variety of hormonelike actions (as in controlling blood pressure or smooth muscle contraction)