Ebook: Introductory Endocrinology: a Concise and Applied Digest

This book focusses on introductory endocrinology. In the last 5 decades, endocrinology has gained ascendancy primarily due to refinements in our assay techniques, revolutionary shifts in cellular biology, and the genomics. Study of endocrinology is no longer restricted to traditional endocrine gland, but also brings under its ambit study of transcellular and intercellular communication (cytokines, chemokines, intracellular signal transduction, hormonal control of immunoregulatory systems). It remains to date one of the most fascinating specialties in biology due to intricacies of feed forward and feedback system that are both challenging and exciting all at once. It is heavily rooted in physiology, cellular biology, and biochemistry. This book consists of 20 chapters that include hormone receptors, hypothalamus, pituitary gland, thyroid gland, adrenal gland, hormones regulating calcium metabolism, pancreas, gonads, pineal gland, gastrointestinal tract hormones, hormones from liver, hormones from kidney, hormones from heart, vitamin a, prostaglandins, nitric oxide, endocrine tumors, and growth factors. Endocrinology is taught at undergraduate (college bound students), graduate level (medical students, postgraduate, and PhD students in subjects like biochemistry and zoology).