thyroid gland

Table of Contents

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images

Human thyroid gland.

Structural drawing of T3, reverse T3, and T4, showing the synthesis of T3 and reverse T3 from T4.

parafollicular cell; thyroid gland

Major glands of the human endocrine system. The hypothalamus stimulates the pituitary gland and influences food intake, weight regulation, fluid intake and balance, thirst, body heat, and the sleep cycle. Pituitary hormones stimulate growth, egg and sperm development, milk secretion, and release of hormones by other glands. The pineal gland may play a significant role in sexual maturation and the circadian rhythm. Thyroid hormones regulate the metabolic rate of tissues, stimulate the contraction of heart muscle, and are necessary for normal growth and brain development before birth and during infancy. Parathyroid hormone regulates calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium levels. The adrenal glands regulate salt and water retention, some reactions of the immune system, and blood pressure. The islets of Langerhans regulate blood sugar levels. The ovaries and testes produce hormones that regulate the reproductive system and that produce male and female secondary sex characteristics.

The principal glands of the female and male human endocrine systems.

For Students

thyroid gland summary

Discover

Close up of periodic table, focus on nickel, copper, zinc, palladium, silver, cadmium

When Was the Periodic Table Invented?

Ruminant. Deer. Red deer. Cervus elaphus. Buck. Stag. Antlers.

9 of the World’s Deadliest Mammals

Hindu Holi Festival celebrations with colored water, powder and colorful flower petals thrown over celebrants at a Hindu temple in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India on March 24, 2021.

Holi: Festival of Colors

Aphrodite. Greek mythology. Sculpture. Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love and beauty.

12 Greek Gods and Goddesses

After a perfect launch, spectators try to catch a last glimpse of Space Shuttle Columbia, barely visible at the top end of the twisted column of smoke.

7 Accidents and Disasters in Spaceflight History

A Factory Interior, watercolor, pen and gray ink, graphite, and white goache on wove paper by unknown artist, c. 1871-91; in the Yale Center for British Art. Industrial Revolution England

Inventors and Inventions of the Industrial Revolution

Bar graph of the United States Death Toll during major events. Infogram chart.

U.S. Death Toll During Major Events

thyroid gland: Related Content

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Photos

Human thyroid gland.

Structural drawing of T3, reverse T3, and T4, showing the synthesis of T3 and reverse T3 from T4.

parafollicular cell; thyroid gland

Major glands of the human endocrine system. The hypothalamus stimulates the pituitary gland and influences food intake, weight regulation, fluid intake and balance, thirst, body heat, and the sleep cycle. Pituitary hormones stimulate growth, egg and sperm development, milk secretion, and release of hormones by other glands. The pineal gland may play a significant role in sexual maturation and the circadian rhythm. Thyroid hormones regulate the metabolic rate of tissues, stimulate the contraction of heart muscle, and are necessary for normal growth and brain development before birth and during infancy. Parathyroid hormone regulates calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium levels. The adrenal glands regulate salt and water retention, some reactions of the immune system, and blood pressure. The islets of Langerhans regulate blood sugar levels. The ovaries and testes produce hormones that regulate the reproductive system and that produce male and female secondary sex characteristics.

The principal glands of the female and male human endocrine systems.

See All Images →

Topics

goitrogen thyroid hormone parafollicular cell thyroid colloid hyperthyroidism hypothyroidism thyroid function test thyroid tumour goitre Hashimoto disease ovary adrenal gland pancreas pituitary gland hypothalamus testis pineal gland thymus parathyroid gland kidney

Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic

Key People

Moritz Schiff

German physiologist

George Redmayne Murray

British physician

Kocher, c. 1900

Emil Theodor Kocher

Swiss surgeon

Anton, baron von Eiselsberg

Austrian surgeon

Sir Victor Horsley, c. 1910

Sir Victor Horsley

British surgeon

Quiz

Muscles of facial expression, human anatomy, (Netter replacement project - SSC). Human face, human head.

Characteristics of the Human Body

blood. Close-up of a technician drawing human blood with syringe from blood bag at a blood bank. Blood donation, Healthcare and medicine, needle

Exploring the Human Body Quiz

Male muscle, man flexing arm, bicep curl.

Facts You Should Know: The Human Body Quiz