Final answer:
The growth factor produced in the kidney that induces the growth and differentiation of megakaryocyte progenitors is thrombopoietin. It promotes the development of megakaryocytes into platelets, playing a crucial role in hematopoiesis.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Growth Factor Produced by the Kidney
The growth factor that is produced in the kidney and induces growth and differentiation of committed megakaryocyte progenitors is thrombopoietin. Thrombopoietin is a glycoprotein hormone also produced by the liver. It is responsible for triggering the development of megakaryocytes into platelets. This process is a vital part of hematopoiesis, the creation of blood cellular components, which also includes other chemicals like erythropoietin, colony-stimulating factors, and interleukins that regulate the differentiation and proliferation of various blood progenitor cells.
Erythropoietin (EPO) is a related glycoprotein produced by the kidney; however, its role is specifically to prompt the bone marrow to produce red blood cells (RBCs), especially in response to low oxygen levels. It is distinct from thrombopoietin but is another excellent example of hemopoietic growth factors at work.