Martin Luck explains what hormones are, what they do, where they come from and how they work.

Hormones play an integral part in the balance and workings of the body. While many people are broadly aware of their existence, there are many misconceptions and few are aware of the nature and importance of the endocrine system. In this Very Short Introduction, Martin Luck explains what hormones are, what they do, where they come from, and how they work. He explains how the endocrine system operates, highlighting the importance of hormones in the regulation of water and salt in the body, how they affect reproduction and our appetites, and how they help us adjust to different environments, such as travel across time zones. In this fresh and modern treatment, Luck also touches on the ethical and moral issues surrounding research methods, testing on animals, and hormone misuse. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

"This book provides a timely exploration of what the WTO is, what it does, and the complicated politics involved in its negotiations and rulings. Confronting the controversy surrounding the WTO head-on, the author highlights issues of power, marginalization, and development, and raises the important question of whether it actually deserves the reputation it has come to acquire."--BOOK JACKET.

The human body is thought of conventionally as a biological entity, with its longevity, morbidity, size and even appearance determined by genetic factors immune to the influence of society or culture. Since the mid-1980s, however, there has been a rising awareness of how our bodies, and our perception of them, are influenced by the social, cultural and material contexts in which humans live. Drawing on studies of sex and gender, education, governance, the economy, and religion, Chris Shilling demonstrates how our physical being allows us to affect the material and virtual world around us, yet also enables governments to shape and direct our thoughts and actions. Revealing how social relationships, cultural images, and technological and medical advances shape our perceptions and awareness, he exposes the limitations of traditional Western traditions of thought that elevate the mind over the body as that which defines us as human. Dealing with issues ranging from cosmetic and transplant surgery, the performance of gendered identities, the commodification of bodies and body parts, and the violent consequences of competing conceptions of the body as sacred, Shilling provides a compelling account of why body matters present contemporary societies with a series of urgent and inescapable challenges. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring Physiology is the science of life, and sets out to understand how living things work and what makes them distinct from the non-living. It considers how our bodies are supplied with energy, how they maintain their internal parameters, the ways in which we gather and process information, the ways we take action, and the creation of new generations. This Very Short Introduction explores the field of human physiology, considering how the body works, senses, reacts, and defends itself. As Jamie A. Davies shows, human life (and indeed, all life) is sustained by the interplay of a wide variety of physiological mechanisms and principles. He discusses the physiological experiments and research undertaken to understand these processes, and analyses the ethical issues involved. He also considers the evolution of the scientific field itself, showing how enhanced understandings of physiological knowledge can help inform medical research and care. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

An understanding of the structure and function of the human body is vital for anyone studying the medical and health sciences. In this book, Leslie Klenerman provides a clear and accessible overview of the main systems of the human anatomy, illustrated with a number of clear explanatory diagrams.

"Tami offers [a] ... thirty-day plan to restore healthy levels of testosterone and balance the relative levels of other hormones, based on lifestyle modifications such as supplements and nutritional adjustments. She also offers her Mediterranean Diet-based meal plan and low-impact exercise ideas that [may help] boost your energy"--Amazon.com.

GROWTH HORMONE (GH) IS A HOT TOPIC. It seems that all of the movie stars, celebrities, and body-builders are taking it, and they look fantastic. Baby boomers interested in anti-aging are taking it and saying that it keeps them young. But you may have heard that it is expensive... and dangerous. So what's the story? What are your options? Do you need it? Should you take it? How do you use it? Can you afford it? How can you raise GH naturally? We will see how GH levels drop as we get older, when to intervene, and what treatment options are available to optimize health. Carefully read this book before making any decisions about using GH supplements. This book could save you from an early death, either from using risky supplements or from not doing anything at all. You will learn how to determine if you need GH replacement. You will find out how to get tested and what tests you will need. You will learn what options you have for GH replacement, risks, side effects, and affordability.

How animals behave is crucial to their survival and reproduction. The application of new molecular tools such as DNA fingerprinting and genomics is causing a revolution in the study of animal behaviour, while developments in computing and image analysis allow us to investigate behaviour in ways never previously possible. By combining these with the traditional methods of observation and experiments, we are now learning more about animal behaviour than ever before. In this Very Short Introduction Tristram D. Wyatt discusses how animal behaviour has evolved, how behaviours develop in each individual (considering the interplay of genes, epigenetics, and experience), how we can understand animal societies, and how we can explain collective behaviour such as swirling flocks of starlings. Using lab and field studies from across the whole animal kingdom, he looks at mammals, butterflies, honeybees, fish, and birds, analysing what drives behaviour, and exploring instinct, learning, and culture. Looking more widely at behavioural ecology, he also considers some aspects of human behaviour. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Hormones provides a comprehensive treatment of human hormones viewed in the light of modern theories of hormone action and in the context of current understanding of subcellular and cellular architecture and classical organ physiology. The book begins with discussions of the first principles of hormone action and the seven classes of steroid hormones and their chemistry, biosynthesis, and metabolism. These are followed by separate chapters that address either a classical endocrine system, e.g., hypothalamic hormones, posterior pituitary hormones, anterior pituitary hormones, ,thyroid hormones, pancreatic hormones, gastrointestinal hormones, calcium regulating hormones, adrenal corticoids, hormones of the adrenal medulla, androgens, estrogens and progestins, and pregnancy and lactation hormones; or newer domains of hormone action which are essential to a comprehensive understanding of hormone action, including prostaglandins, thymus hormones, and pineal hormones. The book concludes with a presentation of hormones of the future, i.e., cell growth factors. This book is intended for use by first-year medical students, graduate students, and advanced undergraduates in the biological sciences. It is also hoped that this book will fill the void that exists for resource materials for teaching cellular and molecular endocrinology and that it will be employed as an equal partner with most standard biochemistry textbooks to provide a comprehensive and balanced coverage of this realm of biology.