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Understanding the biology of the parathyroid as well as the mechanisms of associated diseases has taken great strides in recent years. This book summarizes the molecular mechanisms involved in the function of the parathyroid gland. The first chapter reviews the development of the parathyroid gland and the genes involved in this process as identified using geneticallynmanipulated mice. Then the biosynthetic pathway of PTH from gene expression to its intracellular processing and the sequences in the gene controlling its transcription as well as those regulating mRNA processing, stability and translation are described. Studies on the structure of PTH with correlations to its function are presented and provide a starting point for understanding the recognition of the PTH ligand by its receptor the PTH/PTHrP or PTH1 receptor. The calcium sensing receptor regulates PTH secretion, gene expression and parathyroid cell proliferation. A chapter on the calcium receptor focuses on the signalling pathways that it activates and the associated disorders that involve the calcium receptor gene and lead to excess or decreased PTH secretion. Calcium and phosphate regulate PTH gene expression post-transcriptionally. Finally, the last chapter focuses on the characteristics of PTH-null mice and the skeletal and reproductive abnormalities that they present. Together the chapters of this book offer a state of the art description of the major aspects of the molecular biology of the parathyroid gland, PTH production and secretion. The book is designed for students and teachers as well as scientists and investigators who wish to acquire an overview of the changing nature of the PTH field.