Anatomy word of the month: acromion

Feel that bump on the top of your shoulder? This is the highest point of your shoulder and is the exact meaning of the term combining two Greek words meaning “tip, summit or extreme” and “shoulder”. In some individuals their growth hormone continues to overproduce after they have become mature but their long bones have stopped growing. Instead of becoming “giants”, unusually tall, parts of their body including the lower jaw, brows, nose, hands and feet become enlarged. This condition is called acromegaly combining two Greek words meaning enlarged tips or extremities. Have you heard of the acropolis in Athens? In ancient Greece the “highest point of the city” was the place to fortify and build important temples such as the Parthenon of the goddess Athena.