Enables growth hormone receptor binding activity. Acts upstream of or within cellular response to insulin stimulus; regulation of growth; and response to food. Located in several cellular components, including extracellular space; secretory granule; and trans-Golgi network. Is expressed in brain; early conceptus; gut; hemolymphoid system; and male reproductive system. Used to study isolated growth hormone deficiency type II. Human ortholog(s) of this gene implicated in several diseases, including anemia (multiple); autoimmune disease of endocrine system (multiple); diabetic retinopathy; isolated growth hormone deficiency (multiple); and progeria. Orthologous to several human genes including GH1 (growth hormone 1). [provided by Alliance of Genome Resources, Apr 2022]