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BookmarkThe thyroid is one of the larger endocrine glands in the body.
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It is a double-lobed structure located in the neck and produces hormones, principally thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), that regulate the rate of metabolism and affect the growth and rate of function of many other systems in the body.
The hormone calcitonin is also produced and controls calcium blood levels.
Iodine is necessary for the production of both hormones.
Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) and hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) are the most common problems of the thyroid gland..
For more information about the topic Thyroid, read the full article at Wikipedia.org, or see the following related articles:
Pituitary gland — The pituitary gland, or hypophysis, is an endocrine gland about the size of a pea that sits in the small, bony cavity at the base of the brain. The ... > read more
Endocrine system — The endocrine system is a control system of ductless glands that secrete chemical messengers called hormones that circulate within the body via the ... > read more
Thyroid hormone — The thyroid hormones, thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), are tyrosine-based hormones produced by the thyroid gland. An important component in ... > read more
Hyperthyroidism — Hyperthyroidism (or "overactive thyroid gland") is the clinical syndrome caused by an excess of circulating free thyroxine (T4) or free ... > read more
Note: This page refers to an article that is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the article Thyroid at Wikipedia.org. See the Wikipedia copyright page for more details.
