GH

GH is an acronym with several distinct meanings across different fields.

The most common reference in biology is growth hormone (GH), a peptide hormone produced by the anterior pituitary gland in humans. Also called somatotropin, it regulates growth and development in children and helps maintain body composition, fluid balance, and metabolism in adults. Secretion is controlled by hypothalamic hormones: growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) stimulates it, while somatostatin inhibits it. In clinical contexts, GH deficiency can cause short stature in children and metabolic problems, while excess can lead to acromegaly in adults or gigantism in children. Treatment often involves recombinant human growth hormone under medical supervision.

GH also denotes Ghana in international contexts, as the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code. The country’s internet top-level domain is .gh. The code appears in various standards and documentation to designate Ghana, which is located in West Africa along the Gulf of Guinea. The nation has a diverse economy and a multilingual public sector, with Accra as its capital.

In technology, gh refers to the GitHub command-line interface, a tool that allows users to interact with GitHub from the terminal. With gh, users can perform tasks such as creating issues and pull requests, reviewing code, and managing workflows without leaving the command line.

In popular culture, GH is commonly used as an abbreviation for General Hospital, an American daytime television soap opera that airs on ABC. The show debuted in 1963 and has featured numerous storylines, cast members, and award recognitions over the decades.