Growth Hormone (GH) Unit Converter

Growth hormone (GH), also called somatotropin, is a protein hormone produced by the pituitary gland. It stimulates growth, cell reproduction, and regeneration throughout the body.

GH is released in pulses throughout the day, with the largest surge occurring about an hour after the onset of deep sleep. Because of this pulsatile release, a single random GH measurement is often not clinically useful.

GH works directly on tissues and also stimulates the liver to produce insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), which mediates many of GH's growth-promoting effects. IGF-1 levels are often measured alongside or instead of GH because they remain more stable throughout the day.

Growth hormone is produced and released by somatotroph cells in the anterior pituitary gland, located at the base of the brain. Its release is regulated by the hypothalamus through growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), which stimulates release, and somatostatin, which inhibits it.