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Postnatal growth and development of the human body and its specific organs are regulated by a complex network of local and systemic factors which is poorly understood. This review will encompass present knowledge on the role of the circulating growth hormone (GH)-insulin-like growth factor (IGF) axis in human postnatal growth and development. Furthermore, the clinical use of circulating IGF-I in the diagnosis of GH disorders and its importance in the development of certain diseases like cancer and heart disease will be reviewed. Historically, it was suggested that the growth promoting effects of GH were mediated by a liver derived factor initially termed ‘‘sulphation factor’’[1] which was stimulated by GH. At the same time another group of researchers had isolated a fraction of non-suppresible insulin-like activity from human serum which they termed ‘‘NSILA’’[2]. These factors turned out to be identical and was …