1. Different categories  

Growth factors are necessary to regulate the normal growth and metabolism of microorganisms, but they cannot be synthesized by themselves from simple carbon and nitrogen sources.  

Peptides are α-amino acids linked together by peptide bonds to form compounds, which are intermediate products of proteolysis.  

2. Different effects  

Active peptide mainly controls the growth, development, immune regulation and metabolism of the human body, and it is in a state of balance in the human body.  Growth factors are substances that promote cell growth.  Growth factors are found in platelets and in various adult and embryonic tissues and in most cultured cells.  

A compound formed by dehydration and condensation of two amino acid molecules is called a dipeptide, and by analogy, a tripeptide, a tetrapeptide, a pentapeptide, and so on.  Peptides are compounds that are usually formed by dehydration and condensation of 10~100 amino acid molecules.