Hormone: Growth Hormone

Basics: Non-tropic, Amino Acid Based, Hormonal control

Location: Anterior Pituitary
Mechanism: Hormonal
Stimulated by:

Low levels of growth hormone

Hypoglycemia (low blood glucose levels)
Exercise
Hypolipidemia (low blood cholesterol levels)
Growth spurts
Low GH levels
Decreased fatty acids
Increased amino acids

Growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) released from hypothalamus stimulates the release of
Growth hormone
Negative feedback system: high levels of GH, glucose (stimulated by list) feedback to hypothalamus
which secretes GHIH which will inhibit GHRH and thus inhibit GH release
Target actions: 2 ways

Directly:
Exerts metabolic effects
Mobilizes fats and transports them to the cells
Decrease rate of glycogen breakdown
Decrease rate of glucose uptake and metabolism
Indirectly:
Mediated by insulin-like growth factors (IGFs)
o Produced by the liver, skeletal muscle, and other tissues
Produced in the liver acts as hormones; produced in other tissues acts as paracrines
Stimulates actions required for growth: 1) uptake of nutrients from blood and their
incorporation into proteins and DNA, allowing growth by cell division; 2) formation of
collagen and deposition of bone matrix
Diseases:
Hypersecretion:
o Gigantism (before epiphyseal plate has closed) (elongated body)
o Acromegaly: after epiphyseal plate has closed (enlarged hands, feet, face)
Hyposecretion:

o
o

Dwarfism: early closure of epiphyseal plates (small stature)

Progeria: genetic trait; child looks very old at a very young age