Understanding the pituitary gland and growth hormone
The pituitary gland gland lies just below the brain. It makes several hormones, including growth hormone. (A hormone is a chemical which is made in one part of the body, but passes into the bloodstream and has effects on other parts of the body.)
The amount of growth hormone that you make is partly controlled by other hormones which come from a small part of the brain called the hypothalamus. This is just above the pituitary. It makes growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) which stimulates the pituitary to make growth hormone when the blood level of growth hormone is low. It also makes somatostatin which prevents the pituitary from making growth hormone when the level of growth hormone is high.
Growth hormone helps to stimulate growth and repair of various body tissues. It is needed in childhood to help children to grow. Growth hormone acts on some tissues directly. It also stimulates the liver to make another hormone called insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). Many of the effects of growth hormone are actually due to IGF-1 which acts on various cells in the body.
Average rating:
