Endocrine System

This is an integrated textbook on the endocrine system, covering the anatomy, physiology and biochemistry of the system, all presented in a clinically relevant context appropriate for the first two years of the medical student course. One of the seven volumes in the Systems of the Body series. Concise text covers the core anatomy, physiology and biochemistry in an integrated manner as required by system- and problem-based medical courses. The basic science is presented in the clinical context in a way appropriate for the early part of the medical course. There is a linked website providing self-assessment material ideal for examination preparation.

This book focuses on hormones, and on how they are produced in very diverse regions of the body in humans and animals. But hormones can be found not only in vertebrates, but also in insects, shellfish, spiders, mollusks, even at the origin of metazoan diversification and exhibit the same pathways of synthesis. The book addresses the different classes of hormones: protein/peptides hormones, steroids and juvenile hormones and hormones like catecholamines, thyroid hormones and melatonin. It also discusses the types of hormone receptors, the majority of which are heptahelical G-protein coupled receptors or nuclear receptors. Particular attention is paid to the organs where hormones are created, with specifics on hormonal production and release, while a dedicated chapter details hormonal regulation from very simple to highly complex schemes. The remarkable kinetics of hormones production are also shown, before the book is rounded out by chapters on evolution in the endocrine system, the genetics of endocrine diseases and doping.

Existing textbooks on endocrinology do not link theory to the practical world, and thus lead to students asking themselves “What should I do with all this knowledge?” This volume reduces the gap between theoretical knowledge and its practical applications through clinical references that reflect current trends in the management of endocrine disorders. Clinical problems included at the end of some chapters will help medical students to practice diagnosing and treating common hormonal disorders. Each topic also ends with a list of suggested reading that will allow the reader to gain further insights.

How the Endocrine System Works is not another standard introduction to endocrinology, but an innovative and fun way to learn about the importance of the key glands in the human body and the hormones they control. It is explained in 9 easy-to-understand lectures, with additional material on the treatment and management of endocrine disorders. How the Endocrine System Works: • Is designed for those in need of a concise introduction to this fascinating area of medicine • Has been rigorously updated to reflect today’s endocrinology teaching • Includes more focus on the treatment and management of endocrine disorders • Features more on evidence-based medicine, obesity, epidemiology, and biostatistics • Includes summaries of key research which affects diagnostic criteria • Includes brand new case-based review questions at the end of each chapter • Features full-color diagrams throughout How the Endocrine System Works is the perfect introduction for all medical students, as well as for students of bioscience, and other healthcare disciplines.

This valuable new addition to the Encyclopaedia of Sports Medicine series provides a comprehensive and logical look at the principles and mechanisms of endocrinology as related to sports and exercise. It looks at growth hormone factors involved in exercise and the endocrinology of sport competition. It considers various factors and stresses on the body that may alter sporting performance. It covers topics from the acute responses and chronic adaptations of the human endocrine system to the muscular activity involved in conditioning exercise, physical labor, and sport activities. This book is an essential reference for helping to plan better programs of physical fitness, to prepare for sports competitions, and to manage the medical care of athletes.

According to the classical concept of Geoffrey Harris the pituitary gland is controlled by the brain by means of blood-borne chemical messengers produced by central neurons. The recent isolation and structural characterization of several such messengers by Roger Guillemin and Andrew Schally and their collaborators brought the final proof for this hypothesis. This also meant that the extensive knowledge collected in the field of neurobiology now became highly relevant for the endocrinologists. For this reason it was felt important to organize a symposium which brought together experts in the fields of neurobiology and endocrinology. The idea was to focus the attention on neuronal mechanisms, particularly those related to chemical transmission, which may be of importance for the central regulation of hormonal secretion patterns. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Nobel Founda tion for supporting the organization of the Nobel Symposium 42 on "Principles of the Central Regulation of the Endocrine System". We would also like to express our thanks to all participants, to Professor Carl-Gustaf Bernhard, Permanent Secretary of the Royal Academy of Sciences, for making the facilities of the Academ- available to us, and to the Symposium secretaries Mrs. Gun Hultgren, Mrs. Lena Persson and Mrs. Ulla-Britt Wedin. It is a pleasure to acknowledge the generous financial support from the Nobel Foundation and its Nobel Symposium Committee through grants from the Tercentenary Foundation of the Bank of Sweden, and from the Swedish Medical Research Council, KABI AB, Stockholm, and ASTRA AB, Sodertalje.