pyg·my (p g m )n. 1. An individual of unusually small size. 2. Pygmy A member of any of various peoples, especially found in equatorial Africa and parts of southeast Asia, having an average height less than 5 feet. adj. Unusually or atypically small. |
pygmy
[pig′mē]
Etymology: L, pygmaeus, dwarf
an extremely small person whose body parts are proportioned accordingly. Also spelled pigmy. See also primordial dwarf.
Pygmy
A member of a tribe of African bushmen who is short, partly due to a 50% decrease of high-affinity growth hormone binding protein, the amino acid sequence of which is homologous to the cell membrane’s growth hormone receptor, resulting in a primary deficiency of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) or somatomedin C
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