Signs and Symptoms of Gigantism

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Recommended: Bio genetics chapter 21

Introduction

Biology mainly concentrates on the study of life and any other factors that affect it positively or negatively. The study of biology is further sub-divided into sections and the most important being genetics that studies the genetically composition and effects to human life. For instance, gigantism which is an abnormal growth caused by the excess hormone growth at childhood before the bone plates closes. Though gigantism is rare, it is caused due to some factors among them; Noncancerous tumor of the pituitary gland, Neurofibromatosis, McCune-Albright Syndrome (MAS), Carney complex and Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia type 1(MEN-1). This abnormal growth occurs mainly before the closure of the bone growth plate. In any case the growth hormone occurs after the normal growth has stopped then the condition is known as acromegaly (Gina Gould ‘et al’, 2004).

There are several symptoms that can be used to detect the condition. It leads to the growth of the child in muscles, height and organs and hence the child being larger or bigger than his or her age. Other symptoms include; irregular periods, release of breast milk, weakness, increased sweating, thickening of the facial features, large hands and feet with thick fingers and toes, headache, delayed puberty, frontal bossing and a prominent jaw and double vision or difficulty with side vision. There are also some signs and test that can validate gigantism. The tests are; increased Insulin Growth Factor-I (IGF-1) levels, CT or MRI scan of the head showing pituitary tumor, high prolactin levels and failure to suppress serum Growth Hormone (GH) levels after an oral glucose challenge (maximum 75g). Damage to the pituitary generally leads to low levels of other hormones among the...

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...he growth hormones only have minor side effects on the users. The anabolic steroids are addictive while the growth hormones are not. The anabolic steroids cause withdrawal symptoms and cravings while the growth hormones do not cause withdrawal symptoms and cravings (Health beat RX, 2011).

Reference List

Bruce Mac Fadden, Gina Gould, (2004). Gigantism, Dwarfism and Cope’s Rule: “Nothing in

Evolution Makes Sense Without a Phylogeny”. Retrieved from:

http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~wayner/Principles%20of%20Ecology%20course/island%20morphological%20adaptation.pdf

Health beat RX, (2011). The Differences between Steroids and Human Growth Hormone.

Retrieved From:

http://healthbeatrx.com/wp/the-differences-between-steroids-and-human-growth-hormone-hgh

Medical Discoveries, (2011). Hormone. Retrieved from:

http://www.discoveriesinmedicine.com/Enz-Ho/Hormone.html

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