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CASE FILES: BIOCHEMISTRY
B IO C H E M IS T R Y PE A R L S
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Growth hormone (somatotropin) is a polypeptide synthesized and
secreted by somatotrophs in the anterior pituitary.
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Mutations in growth hormone or its receptor lead to dwarfism.
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Excessive GH secretion leads to giantism, if expressed before the
growth plates have closed, or acromegaly, if overproduction is
initiated in the adult.
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The most common cause of growth hormone overproduction in the
adult is a noncancerous pituitary tumor.
REFERENCES
Litwack G, Schmidt TJ. Biochemistry of hormones I: polypeptide hormones. In:
Devlin TM, ed. Textbook of Biochemistry with Clinical Correlations, 5th ed.
New York: Wiley-Liss, 2002.
Pathophysiology of the endocrine system. An online textbook from Colorado State
