This widely used text provides a thoroughly updated account of current knowledge in the endocrine sciences. Each chapter is structured to cover both established concepts and recent developments. The chapters are not only written at a consistent level and well integrated with one another, but they also blend basic science with essential elements of clinical knowledge in order to give students an appreciation of the consequences of deranged endocrine function. The Fifth Edition features completely new versions of the chapters on "Cytokines and Immune-Endocrine Interactions," "The Adrenal Glands," and "Calcium Homeostasis." Many of the illustrations throughout the book are new or have been significantly revised to complement the text. Fresh examples have also been included so that each chapter continues to show clearly the clinical consequences of deranged endocrine function. Much new scientific information has been added on such topics as the nongenomic actions of steroid hormones, relaxin receptors, inhibin B, steroid regulating element-binding proteins, IGF-binding proteins, transcriptional regulation of the developing adipocyte, and the regulation of food intake and body weight.