Video Transcript
Which pituitary gland hormone is responsible for regulating the growth of muscles and
bones?
The pituitary gland is connected to the brain and controls many important bodily
functions. It is made of two lobes: the anterior and the posterior. The anterior lobe secretes many tropic hormones, which are hormones that stimulate
other endocrine glands to have a final effect on target cells. The anterior pituitary also secretes non-tropic hormones, which directly stimulates
target cells in the body to induce effects.
Growth hormone is a non-tropic hormone secreted by the anterior pituitary. It acts directly on cells of our muscles and our bones to stimulate their divisions
and enable their tissues to grow. Too little growth hormone during development may cause dwarfism, a condition where
bones and muscles do not grow much. On the other hand, an excess of growth hormone during development may cause the bones
and muscles to grow too much, causing a condition called gigantism.
We now have the final answer to our question. The pituitary gland hormone that is responsible for regulating the growth of muscles
and bones is growth hormone.
