Coming soon on TV: catch BBC4’s The Fantastical World of Hormones with Professor John Wass

Professor John Wass, one of Britain’s leading hormone experts and eminent member of the Society for Endocrinology, is presenting an hour-long documentary on BBC Four later this month.

The program, called The Fantastical World Of Hormones, will tell the story of what hormones are and how they work. Professor Wass will touch upon some of the best and worst of medical history, such as how as recently as the 19th century boys were castrated to keep their pure soprano voice; how juices were extracted from testicles in the hope they would rejuvenate old men and how true medical heroes like Frederick Banting discovered a way to make insulin, thus saving the lives of countless diabetes sufferers.

From our weight and appetite to how we grow and reproduce, hormones are a crucial part of what makes us human, even affecting how we behave and feel. Join Professor Wass’ bizarre and intriguing tale of the discovery of hormones at 21:00 on BBC Four, Wednesday 26 February 2014. A short clip of the program is available on the BBC's website.