Growth hormone and glucocorticoids raise blood glucose, acting as key counter-regulators to insulin.

When you’re digging into veterinary anatomy and physiology, blood sugar is a topic that pops up more than you’d think. Yes, insulin is the star player, but there’s a whole crew of hormones that jump in when glucose needs to be raised—think of them as the body’s backup fuel crew. In the context of the Penn Foster A&P course for vet technicians, one clear takeaway is this: alongside glucagon, growth hormone and glucocorticoids are key helpers that push glucose up in the bloodstream.

Let me explain how this works in simple terms.

What “counter-regulatory” hormones do

Your body hates a long-term fuel drought. When blood sugar drops or when you’re under stress—say, during surgery, a long day of chasing after a stray cat, or fasting—the body swings into action to bring glucose back up. The main counter-regulators are hormones that oppose insulin. They signal the liver to crank out more glucose, mobilize energy stores, and spare glucose for organs that need it most, like the brain and red blood cells.

Growth hormone: the liver’s gluconeogenesis cheerleader

Growth hormone (GH) comes from the pituitary gland. It’s not just about growth in kids; in adults it helps regulate energy. When GH levels rise, the liver increases gluconeogenesis—the making of glucose from non-carbohydrate sources such as amino acids and glycerol. That means more glucose is released into the bloodstream. GH also reduces how much glucose the tissues take up, which helps keep blood sugar from bottoming out during stress or fasting.

Cortisol and other glucocorticoids: the long-haul energy managers

Cortisol is the most famous glucocorticoid. It’s produced by the adrenal cortex and plays a big role in the longer, slower push to raise glucose. Cortisol stimulates gluconeogenesis, but it also liberates amino acids from muscles and helps to mobilize fats. When fat is broken down, glycerol and fatty acids become fuel sources, and the liver can turn those substrates into glucose. Cortisol has a knack for sustaining energy over longer periods, which is crucial when you’re not eating or you’re under sustained physical effort.

Now, where does glucagon fit into this?

Glucagon is the classic hormone you learn first when you study glucose homeostasis. It’s released by the pancreas when blood sugar sags and tells the liver to release stored glucose. The combination of glucagon with growth hormone and glucocorticoids creates a robust system that keeps glucose available for critical tissues during fasting or stress.

What about other hormones people ask about?

It’s worth noting that there are other hormones that can raise blood glucose, especially during acute stress. Epinephrine and norepinephrine (the adrenaline rush) can jump in to stimulate glycogen breakdown in the liver and to promote gluconeogenesis. They’re fast-acting and handy in sudden stress scenarios. They aren’t the ones singled out in the multiple-choice question you might see, but they’re part of the broader picture in real-life physiology.

Why the specific combo matters for vet work

In veterinary medicine, you’ll see how these hormones play out in dogs, cats, and other species. Consider stress hyperglycemia, a temporary rise in glucose that can happen during a veterinary visit or a medical condition. The sympathetic surge (epinephrine release) plus hormones like cortisol can push glucose up quickly. In conditions such as Cushing’s disease (a cortisol-producing adrenal issue) or other endocrine disorders, the clockwork of glucose regulation can tilt and stay tilted, leading to chronically elevated blood sugar. Understanding which hormones are involved helps you anticipate what’s happening in the animal’s body and tailor care accordingly.

A quick mental map you can hold onto

• Glucagon: from the pancreas; tells the liver to release stored glucose.

• Growth hormone: from the pituitary; boosts gluconeogenesis and reduces glucose uptake by tissues.

• Glucocorticoids (like cortisol): from the adrenal cortex; promote gluconeogenesis, mobilize fats and proteins, and raise glucose availability.

• Epinephrine/norepinephrine: from the adrenal medulla and sympathetic nerves; rapid glucose release during stress.

• Insulin: the counterpoint that lowers glucose by helping tissues take up sugar and by storage as glycogen.

How this shows up in the real world

Think of a patient with a long fasting period or a stressed animal heading into a clinic. The body’s fuel gauge nudges upward—not just because of one hormone, but because a team of hormones is coordinating: GH says, “We need more glucose,” cortisol says, “And we’ll pull from proteins and fats to get it,” and glucagon echoes, “Don’t forget the stored sugar.” Epinephrine may grab the wheel in a pinch and slam on the “go” pedal for quick glucose release. The result? A stable supply of energy for critical organs, even when food isn’t available.

What this means for learning anatomy and physiology

For students of Penn Foster’s A&P course, these interactions aren’t just trivia. They’re a window into how the body stays balanced under all kinds of conditions. When you study the endocrine system, you’re not just memorizing hormone names—you’re tracing a network of signals that respond to stress, fasting, exercise, and illness. The same physiology explains why a cat with a stress response might show a spike in glucose, or why a dog with an endocrine disorder has different energy patterns than a healthy animal.

A few practical reminders as you study

• Don’t forget the liver’s central role. It’s where most of the glucose gets produced or released when these hormones call for it.

• Remember each hormone’s job, but also how they can act together. The body rarely uses just one signal at a time.

• Keep track of how chronic changes differ from acute bursts. Short-term hormone surges help during a crisis, while chronic high levels can lead to persistent changes in glucose handling.

Tiny digressions that connect back

If you’ve ever watched a dog panting after a long walk or a cat staying alert during a visit to the clinic, you’ve seen the nervous system’s influence in action. The adrenaline surge is ramping up energy demand, and the hormonal orchestra steps in to ensure fuel is ready. It’s a neat reminder that physiology isn’t a dry list of facts. It’s a living, breathing system that keeps a patient’s engine running, even when the road gets bumpy.

Putting it all together

So, in the context of the question you might encounter in class or in your reading, the line-up that helps raise blood glucose, beyond glucagon, is growth hormone and glucocorticoids. This pairing covers the longer-term and sustained energy needs, while glucagon and, in a pinch, adrenaline handle the quicker requests. It’s a balanced system with redundancy baked in—because in biology, having back-ups isn’t overkill; it’s survival.

If you’re building a mental toolkit for the Penn Foster curriculum, picture the glucose story as a relay race. Glucagon hands the baton to the liver to release glucose; growth hormone and cortisol coach the body to keep that glucose flowing, especially when the pace stays up for a while. Epinephrine can sprint ahead when the situation calls for a fast kick. Insulin is the steady anchor that, when needed, pulls glucose back into storage and use.

A final thought

The more you connect the dots between hormones and energy, the more you’ll see how everyday conditions—from a skipped meal to a stressful exam day—can ripple through the body’s chemistry. That awareness makes you not just a student of anatomy, but a thoughtful future vet tech who can recognize how conditions alter energy balance in animals under your care.

If you want a handy takeaway, remember this simple line: Growth hormone and glucocorticoids take the long view, nudging the body to generate and release glucose when it’s needed most. Glucagon keeps a quick lookout, and adrenaline can jump in for a rapid boost. Together, they keep energy on an even keel, so that, in the clinic and in life, animals keep moving forward.