What is a hormone? Hormones are biochemicals which are produced in very small amounts in organisms, but they can exert a large effect on the physiological processes they regulate. In plants, there are five different hormones: auxin, gibberellin, abscisic acid, cytokinen and ethylene. These hormones variously affect how cells grow, fruit ripening, leaf fall and other plant processes. http://www.cartage.org.lb/en/themes/Sciences/BotanicalSciences/PlantHormones/Hormones/Plant%20Hormones.htm In animals, hormones and produced in the endocrine system and in other tissues. There are over 50 different hormones produced in the human body, most of which are produced within the endocrine system and they affect the processes of maturation, circadian rhythms, menstrual cycles, pregnancy, digestion, sexuality, and other metabolic processes. http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/H/HormoneTable.html/ref

Human growth hormone (HGH) is produced by the pituitary gland. If children do not have sufficient growth hormone, they usually do not exceed 5 feet in stature. Other factors may contribute to lack of height, including inheritance and thyroid disorders, making diagnosis depend on a number of factors, including scans for abnormality of the pituitary gland, somatomedin testing, x-rays for bone maturity and potential growth, measurement of growth hormone level in the blood and artificial HGH stimulation procedures. Other hormones may be deficient including the thyrotropins, vasopressin (controls water in the body), gonadotropins (control of male and female hormones) and adrenocorticotrophic hormone. http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/UVAHealth/peds_diabetes/ghd.cfm http://www.umm.edu/ency/article/001176.htm

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