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Lectures 25 and 26: Reproductive System
The purpose of sexual reproduction is to produce offspring that are genetically different from their parents. This production of genetic diversity...
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Lecture 4: Thermoregulation and Homeostasis
Skin temp may be 32 °C when room temp is 24 °C. Body core is maintained at ~37 °C (36.5–37.5), 0.4 °C less if measured orally. Why do you think that...
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Neuroendocrinology of Perinatal Mental Illness
Mental illness during pregnancy and the postpartum period is a growing health crisis. We know that at least 1 in 7 women during the perinatal...
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Maternal Recognition of Pregnancy
Hormone-induced adaptations occur in many aspects of maternal physiology during gestation. Before these changes can be initiated, the newly formed...
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Adaptations of the Maternal Brain to Meet the Increased Energy Demands of Pregnancy and Lactation
In adult mammals, peripheral signals of energy balance act on central circuits to match energy intake with energy expenditure. The unique metabolic...
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Regulation of the Hypothalamo-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis in Pregnancy and Lactation
Physiological and behavioural responses to stress are critical to ensure individual survival in all species. This is even more important when the...
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Lecture 21: Pressure and Fluid Dynamics
Pressure is the force (in N) being exerted, divided by the area (in m2) on which the force acts. Note that pressure is NOT a force (nor is it a...
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Lecture 2: Review of Chemistry
Most matter is usually “impure”, being a mixture of variable amounts of several different substances.
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Lectures 5 and 6: Musculo-Skeletal System
There are 206 bones in the (adult) body, which comprise about 14% of our body mass, and 700 muscles that should comprise about 40% of our body mass.
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Lecture 3: The Integument
The skin, hair, nails, glands and several specialised receptors make up the integumentary system.
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Lectures 23 and 24: Anatomy and Physiology of Respiration
Respiration may mean many things. It could refer to ventilation of the lungs; or external respiration, or internal respiration, or it could refer to...
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The Placenta as a Neuroendocrine Organ
Pregnancy is a unique situation, in which two (or more) individuals are in intimate contact, with development of the foetus supported by a...
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Oxytocin in Lactation and Parturition
This chapter outlines the physiology of the oxytocin system as relevant to our understanding of the milk-ejection reflex, and of the control of...
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Lactation and the Control of the Prolactin Secretion
Prolactin is a polypeptide hormone secreted from the lactotrophs in the anterior pituitary gland. It is recognized as a pleiotropic hormone with...
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Neuropeptide Pathways Controlling the Timing of Birth
The mechanisms regulating gestation length and birth differ markedly between species. In many mammals, corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) plays a...
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Cognition and Neuroplasticity During Pregnancy and Postpartum
Many physiological changes occur during pregnancy and in the postpartum, including dramatic fluctuations in circulating hormones. These changes...
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Neuroendocrine Control of Maternal Behavior
Maternal caregiving is an essential component of successful mammalian reproduction. Indeed, almost all mothers exhibit a species-typical repertoire...
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Lecture 19: Cardiovascular System: Anatomy of the Heart
The cardiovascular system consists of the heart (the muscular pump) and a closed system of arteries, capillaries and veins for the circulation of the...
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Lectures 7 and 8: Digestive System
Digestion (disassembly) is necessary to reduce the very large molecules (polymers) ingested as food to particles small enough to pass into the cells...
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Lecture 17: Special Senses
Sensory receptors are located throughout the body. They may be free nerve endings or nerve endings surrounded by a capsule.