Growth Factors and Cytokines are Essential for the Normal Development of the Human Body
Growth factors are naturally occurring substance capable of stimulating cellular growth, proliferation and cellular differentiation. The sequence of amino acids has been determined for several growth factor polypeptides. This information permits a number of growth factors to be placed into families, members of which have related amino acid sequences, suggesting that they evolved from a single ancestral protein. Examples of growth factors are cytokines and hormones that bind to specific receptors on the surface of their target cells. The normal development of our tissues, body shape and size is strictly coordinated. Secreted growth hormones and cytokines signal between cells to regulate the key physiological processes of growth and differentiation as well as responses to injury and infection.



