Somatotropin, also Somatropin, Called growth hormone or somatotropic hormone, is a so-called peptide hormone that is produced in the anterior pituitary gland. The hormonal effects of somatotropin affect the entire metabolism and growth.
What is Somatropin?
Like most hormones in the human organism, the somatotropic hormone is also a messenger substance that is effective even in the smallest amounts and is embedded in a higher-level control cycle. Deviations in this control loop can only be compensated within very narrow limits. Otherwise it can inevitably lead to incorrect regulation and thus to symptoms and diseases.
Somatotropin has a typical molecular structure that has already been fully deciphered. It is a polypeptide, i.e. a complex protein molecule, which consists of a sequence of 191 amino acids. The molecular weight of the somatotropic hormone and its corresponding genes on the 17th chromosome are also known. It has been shown that growth hormone has a direct influence on a large number of metabolic processes. In addition, cell differentiation and growth processes are directly related to its hormonal effects.
Production, manufacturing & education
The English name human growth hormone, HGH, is also used in everyday medical practice in German-speaking countries as a name for growth hormone. The formation and production of somatropin takes place exclusively in the so-called anterior pituitary gland, also known as the adenohypophysis.
The back of the pituitary gland is also known as the neurohypophysis, which is also a place where hormones are produced. The pituitary gland is an organ in the human brain the size of a cherry stone. The higher-level control loop is the hypothalamus. The adenohypophysis receives the command to release hormones from the hypothalamus through messenger substances. Somatropin is secreted directly into the peripheral blood.
The hormone is distributed immediately throughout the body and can take effect immediately. Together with the somatotropic hormone, 4 other important hormone groups are produced in the anterior pituitary gland and secreted into the blood if necessary. In terms of evolutionary history, somatotropin is undoubtedly one of the oldest hormones.
Function, effect & properties
Growth hormone influences the effects on protein, fat and carbohydrate metabolism. These effects could not only be demonstrated in humans, but also in most mammals. Somatotropin controls body growth immediately after birth. The somatotropic hormone is definitely indispensable for normal human growth.
The development and differentiation of organ function cells in the bones and muscles would not be possible without the action of growth hormone. Particularly large volumes of growth hormone are released during puberty. After the end of adolescence, somatropin is also formed throughout life, albeit in significantly lower quantities. In anti-aging medicine, synthetically produced growth hormone is used to influence aging processes.
Mental and physical well-being appear to be directly related to the blood concentration of somatotropin. However, it could not be proven whether artificially supplied growth hormone actually has a positive influence on cell aging. Together with the hormone melatonin, somatotropin is increasingly formed in adults during sleep and in the dark.
It has also been shown that the human pituitary gland produces more growth hormone when hungry. Therefore, in order to increase the natural production of somatotropin and promote fat loss, it is recommended not to consume solid food for several hours before going to bed. Longer periods of fasting are also associated with an increased release rate of growth hormone.
Illnesses, ailments & disorders
Any pathological change in the pituitary gland can lead to an over- or underproduction of somatropin. This is associated with far-reaching effects on the entire metabolism. Often benign or malignant tumors of the pituitary gland lead to hormone deficiency or excess.
Hereditary genetic disorders of the pituitary gland are associated with an underproduction of growth hormone. In some cases, production also dries up completely. The result is a child's short stature, which unfortunately is often only diagnosed in the first years of life. The missing hormone can be administered parenterally, depending on age and needs. If the therapy is given in good time, all deficiency symptoms can be eliminated.
Typical symptoms of a lack of growth hormone are muscle breakdown, lack of mineralization in the bones and an increase in the percentage of body fat. Overproduction is usually the result of a malignant tumor of the anterior pituitary gland. There is an uncontrolled release of somatotropin into the blood. The consequences are giant stature, diabetes and acromegaly. This leads to an unnatural increase in the size of the tongue, chin, nose, ears, feet and hands. These pathological changes are considered irreversible when they are fully developed. Surgical removal of the pituitary gland requires lifelong substitution of pituitary hormones.
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