The two thyroid hormones, thyroxine (3,5,3′,5′-tetraiodothyronine) and 3,5,3′-triiodothyronine, are formed by the addition of iodine to an amino acid (tyrosine) component of a glycoprotein called thyroglobulin. Thyroglobulin is stored within the gland in follicles as the main

Thyroid hormones include thyroxine and triiodothyronine, which regulate tissue metabolism. Natural desiccated thyroid produced from beef and pork and the synthetic derivatives levothyroxine and liothyronine are used in replacement therapy to treat hypothyroidism that results from any cause.

…production of the two active thyroid hormones, thyroxine (T₄) and triiodothyronine (T₃), by the thyroid gland and the production of thyrotropin (thyroid-stimulating hormone, TSH), the hormone that regulates thyroid secretion, by the pituitary gland. The best and most widely used tests are measurements of serum thyrotropin and thyroxine. The secretion…

Thyroid hormones are formed by the addition of iodine to the amino acid tyrosine and are normally transported in the bloodstream by carrier proteins. In the PBI test, these carrier proteins are precipitated from the blood, and the quantity of bound iodine is measured. Under certain…

…the enzymes needed to release thyroid hormone from thyroglobulin. When thyroid hormones are needed, thyroglobulin is reabsorbed from the colloid in the follicular lumen into the cells, where it is split into its component parts, including the two thyroid hormones thyroxine (T₄) and triiodothyronine (T₃). The hormones are then released,…

Thyrotropin (also called thyroid-stimulating hormone, or TSH) regulates the thyroid gland through a feedback relationship similar to that for ACTH; thyrotropin increases the secretion of the hormones from the thyroid gland and, if its action is prolonged, evokes increases in cell number (hyperplasia)…

Inadequate production of thyroid hormone during gestation and early infancy results in a condition known as cretinism, which is characterized by growth retardation and severe mental retardation. Several of the mucopolysaccharidoses (disorders of mucopolysaccharide metabolism) are characterized by dwarfism, often with mental retardation. Some infants having hereditary forms…

…steps in the synthesis of thyroid hormone. Like iodine deficiency, these defects result in increased thyrotropin secretion. More-common causes are one or multiple nodules in the thyroid (uninodular or multinodular goitre), infiltration of the thyroid by lymphocytes or other inflammatory cells (thyroiditis), or stimulation of thyroid growth (and function) by…

thyroid hormone by the thyroid gland. Most patients with hyperthyroidism have an enlarged thyroid gland (goitre), but the characteristics of the enlargement vary. Examples of thyroid disorders that give rise to hyperthyroidism include diffuse goitre (Graves disease), toxic multinodular goitre (