Written primarily for medical students, but also of use to graduates and undergraduates, this textbook provides thorough, balanced, and well-illustrated coverage of endocrine physiology. The scope is broad, ranging from molecular mechanisms of hormone action to the clinical assessment of endocrine function. Yet the book maintains a clear focus on basic endocrine functions, using clinical examples to throw light on normal physiology and its regulation. It was developed from a course given at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, which has a strong tradition in endocrinology. The second edition has been thoroughly updated, and the discussion of neuroendocrinology has been reworked. There is new material on a diversity of topics, including neuroendocrine and immune system relationships, adrenergic receptors and their interaction with G proteins, signal transduction by the tyrosine kinase family of cell surface receptors, immunometric assays, clinical evaluation of anterior pituitary hormone levels, functions of activin, hypercalcemia of pregnancy, molecular mechanisms of adrenal steroid action, 1-84 PTH, calcitonin, and the regulation of bone remodelling.