| ectocrine | 1. Relating to substances, either synthesised or arising by decomposition of organisms, that affect plant life. 2. A compound with ectocrine properties. 3. An ectohormone. Compare: endocrine, exocrine. Origin: ecto-+ G. Krino, to separate (05 Mar 2000) |
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| ecological ectocrine | A chemical substance that undergoes biosynthesis in one species and that exerts an effect on the function of another species through mechanisms of the external environment; e.g., the biosynthesis of vitamins by ruminants and their subsequent ingestion by other animals. See: ectohormone. (05 Mar 2000) |
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