growth hormone

noun

1. any substance that stimulates or controls the growth of an organism, especially a species-specific hormone, as the human hormone somatotropin, secreted by the anterior pituitary gland. : GH

growth hormone

noun

1. a hormone synthesized in and secreted by the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland that promotes growth of the long bones in the limbs and increases the synthesis of protein essential for growth Also calledsomatotrophinhuman growth hormone

growth hormone

1. A polypeptide hormone secreted by the anterior portion of the pituitary gland that promotes growth by stimulating protein synthesis. Growth hormone also acts on the liver to produce peptides called somatomedins , which stimulate growth of bone, cartilage, and muscle.
2. Also called somatotropin
3. Any of various natural or synthetic substances that regulate the growth of plants. Auxins in plants are growth hormones.

Word History and Origins

Origin of growth hormone¹

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

Obviously, growth hormone is necessary early on in life, but there is increasing evidence that high levels of IGF-1 in mid to late life are associated with increased late-life illness.

From Singularity Hub 

One potential cause of this is reduced levels of a growth hormone called IGF-1—although human centenarians are not necessarily shorter than the rest of us.

From Singularity Hub 

Its conventional medical use, which began in the 1950s and was synthesized and FDA-approved in 1985, was primarily for children who have been diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency and were smaller in stature.

From Vox

Sleep deprivation has been shown to suppress testosterone and growth hormone production and enhance cortisol levels, which could weaken muscles and leave you more susceptible to injury.

From Outside Online

When you’re in a deep Slumber, your body releases anabolic hormones like testosterone and human growth hormone, both of which are critical to health and physical function.

From Outside Online

At 11, back in his home town of Rosario, Argentina, Messi was diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency.

From The Daily Beast

These packets are not necessarily the same thing as human growth hormone.

From The Daily Beast

“Lance responded that he had taken EPO, testosterone, growth hormone, cortisone, and steroids,” she says.

From The Daily Beast

At the other end, a tumor of the pituitary can over-produce growth hormone and cause acromegaly.

From The Daily Beast

And brushing them helped raise their growth-hormone secretions.

From The Daily Beast