Anatomy & Physiology: Endocrine System

The endocrine system uses hormones to coordinate metabolism, growth, and the body's response to stress across long timescales. This course centers on the hypothalamic-pituitary axis and the feedback mechanisms that regulate hormone concentrations, then works through the thyroid, adrenal, and pancreatic systems in turn. The thyroid section covers hormone synthesis and transport and the clinical presentation of both excess and deficiency. The adrenal section covers steroid hormone synthesis and the physiological roles of the adrenal cortex and medulla. The pancreatic section covers insulin and glucagon secretion and regulation, their metabolic effects, and the counterregulatory hormones that maintain blood glucose. This course completes the certificate by showing how endocrine signaling integrates the systems covered in the courses before it, from neural control of secretion to the cardiovascular and metabolic effects hormones ultimately produce.