Hormesis is defined as any circumstance in which exposure of a cell or organism to a low dose of a substance or condition results in an adaptive stimulatory/beneficial outcome, while exposure to a high dose results in an inhibitory / detrimental outcome. When plotted on a graph the shape of the dose response curve is biphasic, the hallmark of hormesis. This groundbreaking book "Hormesis: A Revolution in Biology, Toxicology and Medicine" describes why and how hormesis is a fundamental feature of all living systems and is based on the evolutionary principle of selection for genetic traits that confer the ability to respond adaptively to adverse environmental conditions. Using numerous specific examples the authors explain why knowledge of hormesis is important for our health, our environment, and the future of our planet. Several chapters of the book describe emerging research findings that elucidate the molecular and cellular underpinnings of the biphasic dose response/hormesis. The implications of the tapping of cellular systems that underlie hormesis for the discovery and optimization of new drugs and dietary formulations are described.

"This book stems from the belief that scientists and policy makers should be guided by the most reliable predictive models available, among which the hormetic dose response model has considerable evidence to support it, is very generalizable, has a strong mechanistic foundation and can be applied in the assessment of single agents and complex mixtures. For these reasons, the hormetic model should become the default in risk assessment.This book summarizes and analyzes the various positives of hormesis in an attempt to revel hormesis as a fundamental principle of toxicology, biology, and biomedical sciences as a whole. A focused discussion of how acceptance of the hormedis based model of toxicology would affect environmental standards and clean up values is mounted. A panel of scientists has been recruited to critically evaluate the hormetic dose response model and its comparison with current default models in their individual fields, including cellular biology, evolutionary biology, gerontology, and pharmacology. In-depth investigations are provided into how biological systems respond to increasing doses of environmental toxins while attempting to understand how cells respond to stress in the contexts of aging and neurological disorders."

Hormesis: What it is and Why it Matters.- Hormesis: Once Marginalized, Evidence Now Supports Hormesis as the Most Fundamental Dose Response.- The Fundamental Role of Hormesis in Evolution.- Transcriptional Mediators of Cellular Hormesis.- The Devil is in the Dose: Complexity of Receptor Systems and Responses.- Exercise-Induced Hormesis.- Dietary Energy Intake, Hormesis, and Health.- Couch Potato: The Antithesis of Hormesis.- Hormesis and Aging.- The Hormetic Pharmacy: The Future of Natural Products and Man-Made Drugs in Disease Prevention and Treatment.