Question
Children with growth hormone deficiency may require injections of growth hormone. Is growth hormone a type of hormone? What are its effects?
Answer
Growth hormone is a peptide hormone produced by the anterior lobe of the human pituitary gland, consisting of 191 amino acids. It is a protein itself, unlike the corticosteroids commonly known. Growth hormone exerts its physiological effects by stimulating the liver and other tissues to produce growth factors similar to insulin (IGF-1), which promotes bone growth, enhances the body’s decomposition metabolism and protein synthesis, promotes fat breakdown, inhibits glucose utilization, and raises blood sugar levels. During puberty, under the synergistic action of sex hormones, growth hormone further promotes growth in height.