Anti-Aging
Glossary
amino acids
Organic compounds that generally contain an amino (-nh2) and a
carboxyl (-cooh) group. Twenty alpha-amino acids are the subunits
which are polymerised to form proteins.
amino group
An -NH2 group. Organic compounds which have this group are called
amines.
bovine growth hormone
A hormone secreted by the bovine pituitary gland. It is used to
increase milk production by improving the feed efficiency in dairy
cattle.
growth factor
A complex family of polypeptide hormones or biological factors
that are produced by the body to control growth, division and
maturation of blood cells by the bone marrow. They regulate the
division and proliferation of cells and influence the growth rate
of some cancers. These factors occur naturally but some can be
synthesised using molecular biology techniques and are used clinically
to stimulate normal white cell production following chemotherapy
or bone marrow transplantation. Examples include epidermal growth
factor, platelet-derived growth factor, fibroblast growth factor.
Insulin and somatomedin are also growth factors, the status of
nerve growth factor is more uncertain. Perturbation of growth
factor production or of the response to growth factor is important
in neoplastic transformation.
growth hormone
Polypeptide (191 amino acids) produced by anterior pituitary that
stimulates liver to produce somatomedins 1 and 2.
growth hormone regulating hormone
Hypothalamic hormones that induce (somatoliberin) or inhibit (somatostatin)
the release of growth hormone (somatotropin).
hormone
A naturally occuring substance secreted by specialised cells that
affects the metabolism or behaviour of other cells possessing
functional receptors for the hormone. Hormones may be hydrophilic,
like insulin, in which case the receptors are on the cell surface
or lipophilic, like the steroids, where the receptor can be intracellular.
human growth hormone
A protein produced in the pituitary gland that stimulates the
liver to produce somatomedins, which stimulate growth of bone
and muscle.
IGF - Insulin like Growth Factor
- Insulin like growth factors I and II are polypeptides with considerable
sequence similarity to insulin.
- They are capable of eliciting the same biological responses,
including mitogenesis in cell culture. On the cell surface, there
are two types of insulin like growth factor receptor, one of which
closely resembles the insulin receptor (which is also present).
- Insulin like growth factor I = somatomedin A = somatomedin C
- Insulin like growth factor II = MSA (Multiplication stimulating
activity).
- Insulin like growth factor 1 is released from the liver in response
to growth hormone.
- Acronym: IGF
peptide
A compound of two or more amino acids where the alpha carboxyl
group of one is bound to the alpha amino group of another.
precursor
- Something that precedes.
- 1. In biological processes, a substance from which another,
usually more active or mature substance is formed.
- 2. In clinical medicine, a sign or symptom that heralds another.
- Origin: L. praecursor = a forerunner
pituitary
An endocrine gland located at the base of the brain, in the small
recess of a bone - certain sections of the pituitary each secretes
important hormones including growth hormone (GH) and antidiuretic
hormone (ADH).
polypeptide
A peptide which on hydrolysis yields more than two amino acids,
called tripeptides, tetrapeptides, etc. According to the number
of amino acids contained.
somatotropin-releasing hormone
hypothalamic peptide that regulates the synthesis and secretion
of somatotropin in the anterior pituitary gland. Chemical name:
Somatoliberin
secretagogue
Substance that induces secretion from cells, originally applied
to peptides inducing gastric and pancreatic secretion.
senescence
The state or process of aging;
derived from the Latin word senex, meaing "old man"
or "old age."
somatomedins
Insulin-like polypeptides made by the liver and some fibroblasts
and released into the blood when stimulated by somatotropin. They
cause sulfate incorporation into collagen, RNA, and DNA synthesis,
which are prerequisites to cell division and growth of the organism.
somatostatin
Gastrointestinal and hypothalmic peptide hormone (two forms: 14
and 28 residues), found in gastric mucosa, pancreatic islets,
nerves of the gastrointestinal tract, in posterior pituitary and
in the central nervous system. Inhibits gastric secretion and
motility: in hypothalamus/pituitary inhibits somatotropin release.
somatotrophin
growth hormone, somatotropin.
somatotropin
Hormone (191 amino acids) released by anterior pituitary that
stimulates release of somatomedin, thereby causing growth.
somatropin
synthetic or naturally occuring growth hormone from the human
pituitary gland. It is given to children with open epiphyses for
the treatment of pituitary dwarfism. Chemical name: Somatotropin
(human) |
