growth hormone

American  

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

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growth hormone British  

noun

1. Also called: somatotrophin, human growth hormone. 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

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growth hormone Scientific  

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.

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Etymology

Origin of growth hormone

First recorded in 1920–25

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

growth hormone

This creates a feedback loop in which sleep encourages growth hormone release, and the resulting hormone activity helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2026

For teenagers, getting enough sleep is especially important because growth hormone plays a major role in reaching their full height potential.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2026

Peptides are short chains of amino acids that can act as signaling messengers that might, for instance, tell the body to produce more growth hormone or repair tissue.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

Some peptides, such as insulin, human growth hormone and glucagon-like peptide-1, have delivered transformational therapeutic effects when administered to humans.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

It was important to me that the organic ice cream came from cows that did not receive injections of growth hormone to boost their productivity.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan

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