No, growth hormone is not an amino acid derivative. It is a polypeptide.
Growth hormone (GH), also known as somatotropin, is a complex protein composed of 191 amino acids linked together in a specific sequence. This makes it a polypeptide hormone, meaning it's formed from a chain of amino acids. Amino acid derivatives, on the other hand, are smaller molecules synthesized from individual amino acids and include substances like thyroid hormones and catecholamines. The reference text confirms that GH is specifically a 191-amino acid polypeptide secreted by somatotropes in the anterior pituitary gland. Therefore, it falls into the protein/polypeptide hormone category, not the amino acid derivative category.
