Coursera Flash Sale
40% Off Coursera Plus for 3 Months!
Grab it
Master the complex mechanisms of hormone regulation and endocrine system function through this comprehensive 8-hour and 47-minute course covering all major endocrine glands and their physiological processes. Begin with fundamental receptor pathways and the critical hypothalamic-pituitary connections that control hormone release throughout the body. Explore posterior pituitary hormones including oxytocin's role in childbirth and bonding, and antidiuretic hormone's regulation of water balance. Examine anterior pituitary hormones such as growth hormone's effects on development and metabolism, and prolactin's function in lactation. Dive deep into thyroid physiology, learning hormone synthesis pathways, target organ effects, and overall thyroid regulation. Study calcium homeostasis through parathyroid gland function and calcitonin mechanisms. Investigate the adrenal glands comprehensively, covering aldosterone's role in electrolyte balance, cortisol's stress response and metabolic effects, gonadocorticoid functions, and catecholamine production in the adrenal medulla. Analyze pancreatic endocrine function through detailed examination of insulin's anabolic effects and glucagon's role in glucose regulation. Discover the pineal gland's circadian rhythm control through melatonin production. Conclude with reproductive endocrinology, exploring the female reproductive cycle including ovulation mechanisms and menstrual cycle regulation, plus male reproductive physiology covering spermatogenesis and the neural control of erection and ejaculation.
