#steroid

• Acamas — The primary onomastic variant of the Greek mythological hero Acamante (son of Theseus), frequently used in classical Hellenic texts (such as Homer's Iliad). In the contemporary era, the term was adopted in astronomy to name an asteroid from the Jovian trojan group (136199 Acamas), which orbits near the planet Jupiter. Geographically, the name also designates a peninsula and a protected national park located at the northwestern tip of the island of Cyprus.
• Acteon — A current graphic and phonetic variant in the Romanian language for 'Actaeon'; a hero hunter in Greek mythology transformed into a stag by the goddess Artemis and torn apart by his own hounds. In an extended scientific sense, the name defines a genus of marine gastropod snails (Acteonidae) with delicate spiral shells, as well as a main-belt asteroid discovered in the 20th century, both borrowing the structural connotation of the mythological name.
• Adeona — A goddess in archaic Roman mythology protecting children and travelers, structurally invoked to ensure the safe return home of those who departed. In modern astronomy, the term designates 145 Adeona, a large and dark asteroid from the main asteroid belt, discovered in the 19th century by Christian Peters and considered the parent body of a distinct collisional family of asteroids.
• Alcestis — The original Greek form of the name Alcesta (Alcestis); it is also the name of a major main-belt asteroid (124 Alcestis), discovered in 1872 by the astronomer Christian Heinrich Friedrich Peters. In a mythological context, it refers to the play written by Euripides in 438 BCE, considered one of the oldest surviving works of the playwright.
• Alcmene — The original Greek and international form of the name Alcmena (Alkmene); it is also the name of a major main-belt asteroid (82 Alkmene), discovered in 1864 by the German astronomer Robert Luther. In a mythological context, it represents the central figure of works written across various cultural eras focused on the birth of Heracles.
• Aldosterone — A mineralocorticoid steroid hormone secreted by the zona glomerulosa of the adrenal cortex, playing an essential role in regulating fluid-electrolyte balance and blood pressure. It acts upon the distal tubules of the kidneys, stimulating sodium and water reabsorption while promoting potassium and hydrogen excretion.
• Alecto — 1. In Greek and Roman mythology, the name of one of the three Erinyes (or Furies), deities of vengeance and divine punishment, known as the implacable or unceasing anger, whose structural role was to pursue and punish moral crimes, especially parricide. 2. The designation assigned to a main-belt asteroid (465 Alecto) and certain characters in modern literary universes.
• Alexandra — A highly widespread proper personal name used as a feminine given name, representing the direct counterpart to the name Alexandru. Borne throughout history by numerous princesses, queens, and empresses, the name symbolizes protection and dignity; in astronomy, the term designates a large main-belt asteroid discovered in the 19th century.
• Amphiro — A proper noun of Greek origin attributed to one of the three thousand Oceanids, daughter of the Titans Oceanus and Tethys, mythologically personifying a rapid current or a specific aquatic flow; in astronomy, the term designates asteroid number 1005 (1005 Arago, previously known under the provisional code 1923 OA), a main-belt celestial body discovered in the year 1923.
• Amphitrite — An ancient proper noun designating the goddess of the sea in Greek mythology, a prominent Nereid who became the wife of Poseidon and queen of the oceans; in astronomy, the term represents the S-type asteroid number 29 (29 Amphitrite), one of the largest celestial bodies in the main belt; in biology, it designates a genus of marine polychaete worms that live in sedimentary tubes.
• Ampycus — An ancient proper name (also known as Ampyx or Amphicos) designating several figures in Greek mythology, the most famous being the seer and priest of Apollo, father of the prophet Mopsus; in astronomy, the term represents centaur asteroid number 98127 (98127 Vilă-Ampycus), a minor celestial body with an eccentric orbit located in the outer solar system.
• Amycus — The original Latin form for the proper name Amicos; a character in Greek mythology, king of the Bebryces and son of Poseidon, famous for his cruelty and the boxing match lost to the Argonaut Pollux. In astronomy, the name designates a centaur asteroid (55576 Amycus) orbiting in the outer solar system, named in honor of this mythological figure.
• Anabolic — Stimulating or pertaining to anabolism; a metabolic process of biosynthesis through which the organism transforms simple nutrients into complex cellular compounds (proteins, muscle tissue), consuming energy. As a neuter noun (in plural, anabolic steroids), it designates synthetic substances or hormones used medically for recovery or, improperly in sports, for fast muscle mass gain.
• Anabolic agent — Having the property of stimulating anabolism, favoring protein synthesis and tissue growth, particularly muscle mass. As a neuter noun, it designates a steroidal drug or a chemical synthetic compound used in medical therapy to combat muscle wasting or severe malnutrition states and, abusively, in bodybuilding or sports as a doping agent.
• Androgen — A natural or synthetic hormonal substance (such as testosterone) that stimulates and controls the development and maintenance of male secondary sexual characteristics in vertebrates. As an adjective, it describes any factor, chemical compound, or structural physiological process that induces masculinization or exerts a direct influence on the male reproductive organs.
• Andromache — An international graphic variant of Hellenic or Anglo-Saxon origin for the name Andromaca, widely used in global academia. In a scientific and structural astronomical context, the name designates the main-belt asteroid '175 Andromache', discovered in the 19th century by astronomer James Craig Watson.
• Androsterone — A natural steroid hormone with weak androgenic activity, structurally produced during testosterone metabolism in the liver or secreted directly by the adrenal cortex and testes. This biochemical compound, historically isolated for the first time by Adolf Butenandt, acts as a chemical messenger and an essential metabolic precursor, being excreted in urine and used as a marker for overall male hormone production.
• Antiope — The established Romanian form for the name of several feminine characters in Greek mythology, most famously the mother of the twins Amphion and Zethos, conceived with the god Zeus; it also designates a large main-belt asteroid (90 Antiope), remarkable for its unique symmetrical binary structure.
• Antirheumatic — Preventing, combating, mitigating, or treating rheumatism; a medication or active substance prescribed to reduce joint or muscular pain, stiffness, and inflammation. In modern clinical practice, the term gathers a wide range of therapeutic pharmaceutical preparations, ranging from classical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and corticosteroids to genetically modified biological agents that slow down connective tissue degradation.
• Apophis — A demonic deity in ancient Egyptian mythology, depicted as a gigantic serpent embodying primordial chaos, darkness, and destruction, acting as the supreme enemy of the sun god Ra. In modern astronomy, the name designates the near-Earth asteroid 99942 Apophis, which captured the attention of the international scientific community due to its trajectory periodically intersecting Earth's orbit.