Endocrinology & metabolism 3 - growth and development Flashcards
What are the types of structural growth?
- Net protein synthesis
- Lengthening of bones
- Increased number and size of cells
What are the factors that affect growth?
1) Genetic - Correlation between parental and offspring height
2) Socioeconomic and nutritional - particularly associated with malabsorption
3) Chronic disease and stress - anti-growth activity of cortisol
4) Endocrine hormones - Mainly growth hormones and thyroid hormones, insuli, glucocorticoids and sex hormones
Where is growth hormone synthesised?
Anterior pituitary
-major role in growth but also important role in metabolism
When is growth hormone released?
30% during day
70% during sleep
What are the other hormones that are important for growth?
Thyroid hormones: -permissive role on GH activity in promoting growth
Insulin - important growth promoter (anabolic)
-Important intra-uterine growth factor
Sex hormones - dramatic rise in growth during puberty, linear growth, muscle building
How does long bone growth occur?
growth occurs at the epiphyseal plate
-At then end of adolescence, bones can’t lengthen further despite presence of GH
What happens with growth hormone deficiency?
- Stunted growth in children
- Deficiency in adulthood
Can be treated with Hormone Growth Deficiency
What happens with excess growth hormone?
- Accelerated growth in children
- Acromegaly (adults)
What is acromegaly?
- coarsening of facial features
- enlarged hands and feet
- sleep apnoea, general tiredness
- hypertension, cardiomegaly
How does acromegaly occur?
Most often due to GH-secreting tumour
Surgery or radiotherapy
Inhibit GH release
