1.Growth hormone (GH)sounds like a hormone that would help you grow, and if you thought that, then you are correct! Growth hormone is a hormone secreted by the anterior pituitary gland that promotes growth. It does this in a number of ways, including stimulating cells to grow and divide, increasing bone and muscle growth, and increasing protein synthesis. As you might have guessed, growth hormone is vital for normal physical growth in children; its level rises throughout childhood and peaks during puberty when the pre-teen hits his or her growth spurt.

2.Prolactin (PRL)is a hormone released from the anterior pituitary gland that stimulates milk production after childbirth. You can recall this hormone by noting that the prefix 'pro' means 'for' and the suffix 'lactin' refers to 'milk.' So, prolactin is a hormone that is 'for milk production.' In breast-feeding mothers, a suckling infant causes afferent nerve impulses to travel from the lactating breasts to the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus then tells the anterior pituitary to allow the release of prolactin.

It is interesting to note that when a woman is breast feeding, her serum prolactin concentrations are high, and this contributes to curbing the hormones that trigger ovulation, which in turn reduces fertility. Therefore, when a woman is breast feeding, she has some protection against getting pregnant. Of course, this is not a 100% guaranteed and should not be counted on as a birth control method. The function of prolactin in males is not known.

3.When we look at hormones that have other endocrine glands as their target, we call themtropic hormones. The four tropic hormones of the anterior pituitary gland are: follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). You can remember these hormones by noticing that the first letter of each can be combined to spell the word 'FLAT.'