the hormone of the anterior lobe of the hypophysis which governs the nutrition and growth of the adrenal cortex, stimulates it to functional activity, and also possesses extraadrenal adipokinetic activity; it is a polypeptide containing 39 amino acids, but exact structure varies from one species to another; adrenocorticotropin, adrenotropic hormone, adrenotropin, corticotropic hormone, corticotropin(1).