Sally is a 10-year-old girl going through a growth spurt. Her blood levels of growth hormone are two-fold higher than at the same time last week. Which other hormones are likely to also be elevated?

Answer: Insulin Growth factor 1 (IGF-1) or Somatomedin C.

This is a peptide hormone produced in the liver with a profound effects on growth at childhood stage. Its secretion begins slowly at infancy, reaches peak at puberty, where it influences growth sprout and remains at the plateau at old old age. This secretion is stimulated by the Growth hormone. GH

However, its secretion is inhibited, by malnutrition, absence of Growth hormones receptors, non-response to Growth hormones stimulation; and blood concentration levels varies with insulin levels, types of nutrition, exercise and age.

Elevated Levels

Growth hormones is release into the blood stream from the pituitary gland. This is followed by its stimulation of synthesis of IGF-1 by the liver. This hormone in-turn promotes the growth of the body systems which occurred by promoting the growth of cells of the body of certain organs especially; of the skeletal muscles, bones kidney, liver etc.

The elevation of blood levels of GH, leads to corresponding over-stimulation of the liver to produce IGF-1. This leads to increase in system growth of body cells through rapid growth of general body cells. and thereforeT growth sprout.