生体が正常な状態を維持するのにホルモンが必須とは知っていても、内分泌系の性質や働きについてはあまり知られていないようです。ホルモンとは何か、どのような役割で、どう生成され、どのような働きをするのか。内分泌器系の仕組みにおける重要性を軸に解説します。また、動物実験など研究手法の倫理面にも言及します。
　　　

• Clearly explains what hormones are and why they are important
• Considers their various roles - in appetite, in reproduction, and in the balance of water and salt in the body
• Modern, up-to-date understanding of hormones
• Touches on the debates about research methods, testing on animals, medical treatments, and hormone misuse

  
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.