Growth Hormone and Metabolism
Growth Hormone
and Metabolism
Growth hormone (GH) is a particularly important metabolic hormone in young animals during growth and development. It acts directly on long bones to promote cartilaginous growth and bone formation by cell division and protein synthesis, thus producing an increase in length and density of bone. GH increases the release of fat from adipose tissue stores and glycogen from liver stores for energy metabolism. Thus, GH is considered a diabetogenic hormone, since oversecretion leads to an increase in blood glucose and can result in insulin insensitivity or diabetes. If produced in excess, GH causes giantism. A deficiency of this hormone in a human child leads to dwarfism. GH also acts indirectly on growth via stimulation of insulin-like growth factor (IGF) or somatomedin release from the liver. This polypeptide hormone promotes mobilization of glycogen and fat stores necessary for growth processes.
Growth hormone (GH) is a particularly important metabolic hormone in young animals during growth and development. It acts directly on long bones to promote cartilaginous growth and bone formation by cell division and protein synthesis, thus producing an increase in length and density of bone. GH increases the release of fat from adipose tissue stores and glycogen from liver stores for energy metabolism. Thus, GH is considered a diabetogenic hormone, since oversecretion leads to an increase in blood glucose and can result in insulin insensitivity or diabetes. If produced in excess, GH causes giantism. A deficiency of this hormone in a human child leads to dwarfism. GH also acts indirectly on growth via stimulation of insulin-like growth factor (IGF) or somatomedin release from the liver. This polypeptide hormone promotes mobilization of glycogen and fat stores necessary for growth processes.
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