Definition for Growth hormone
From Biology Forums Dictionary
1. Growth hormone is a peptide hormone that stimulates growth, cell reproduction and regeneration in humans and other animals. Growth hormone is a 191-amino acid, single-chain polypeptide that is synthesized, stored, and secreted by the somatotroph cells within the lateral wings of the anterior pituitary gland. Somatotropin refers to the growth hormone 1 produced naturally in animals, whereas the term somatropin refers to growth hormone produced by recombinant DNA technology, and is abbreviated "HGH" in humans.
2. A hormone produced in vertebrates by the anterior pituitary gland; GH acts on the liver to produce insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1).