Definition

A chemical compound derived from hexamethylene diamine, commonly used as a ganglionic blocker to treat high blood pressure.

Example

The doctor prescribed hexamethonium to help manage the patient's hypertension.

Conversation

Have you ever heard of hexamethonium?

I think I read something about it in a medical article once.

Yeah, it’s used as a ganglionic blocker for hypertension treatment.

That’s interesting! I didn’t know it had such specific uses.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Hexamethonium is formed from "hexa-" (meaning six), "meth" (from "methanol", meaning a type of alcohol with one carbon atom), and "onium" (a suffix used in chemistry to denote a positively charged ion). The word refers to a chemical compound that contains six methanol groups, indicating its structure and composition.

Memory Tip

Think of 'six' ('hexa-') methanol groups in a compound, which helps you remember that hexamethonium is a chemical made up of six methanol units.

Visually Confused Words