biology

Somatotropic cell

Somatotropic cell is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Somatotropic cell rather than just read about it. In short: Somatropic cells (somatotropes) (from the Greek sōmat meaning "body" and tropikós meaning "of or pertaining to a turn or change") are cells in the anterior pituitary that produce growth hormone. Structure Somatotropic cells constitute about 30−40% of anterior pituitary cells.

Key takeaways

Somatotropic cell belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Somatotropic cell to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Somatotropic cell from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Somatropic cells (somatotropes) (from the Greek sōmat meaning "body" and tropikós meaning "of or pertaining to a turn or change") are cells in the anterior pituitary that produce growth hormone.

Structure Somatotropic cells constitute about 30−40% of anterior pituitary cells. They release growth hormone (GH) in response to growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH, or somatocrinin) or are inhibited by GHIH (somatostatin), both received from the hypothalamus via the hypophyseal portal system vein and the secondary plexus.

Clinical significance

Hormone deficiency

When levels of somatotropin are low in the body, a physician may prescribe human growth hormone as a drug. Deficiency in somatotrope secretion before puberty or before the end of new bone tissue growth, can lead to pituitary dwarfism. When growth hormone is deficient, blood sugar is low because insulin is not opposed by normal amount of growth hormone.

Hormone excess If there is an excess of growth hormone, it is usually because of over-secretion of somatotrope cells in the anterior pituitary gland. A significant amount of excess somatotrope secretion before puberty or before the end of new bone tissue growth can lead to gigantism, a disease that causes excess growth of body (e.g. being over 7 ft. tall) and unusually long limbs. An excess of secretion of growth hormone after puberty can lead to acromegaly. This is a disease that causes abnormal growth in the hands, head, jaw, and tongue. Some symptoms associated with acromegaly include heavy sweating, oily skin, improper processing of sugars in the diet (diabetes), high blood pressure, increased calcium in urine and swelling of the thyroid gland and arthritis.

Other animals Bovine somatotropin occurs in the pituitary of cattle and differs in structure from human pituitary growth hormone and is biologically inactive in the human being. Bovine somatotropin aids in regulating the amount of milk produced. Recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST) is a hormone that is injected in cows that increases milk production.

See also Hypothalamic–pituitary–somatic axis List of human cell types derived from the germ layers List of distinct cell types in the adult human body

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Somatotropic cell

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Somatotropic cell claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Somatotropic cell before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Somatotropic cell ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Somatotropic cell

In research: Somatotropic cell appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Somatotropic cell in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Somatotropic cell is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Human cells, Peptide hormone secreting cells, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Somatotropic cell outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Somatotropic cell in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Somatotropic cell means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Somatotropic cell out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Somatotropic cell in simple terms?

Somatropic cells (somatotropes) (from the Greek sōmat meaning "body" and tropikós meaning "of or pertaining to a turn or change") are cells in the anterior pituitary that produce growth hormone. Structure Somatotropic cells constitute about 30−40% of anterior pituitary cells.

Why does Somatotropic cell matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Somatotropic cell?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Somatotropic cell.