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Thyroid Disease

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The thyroid is a small butterfly-shaped gland located in the base of the throat. The thyroid is the largest of the endocrine glands; it has two lobes joined by the isthmus. It hugs the trachea on either side of the second and third ring, opposite of 5th, 6th, and 7th cervical vertebrae. Though the thyroid is small, it has an enormously important job to do, especially for teens. It manufactures the hormones that help control metabolism and growth. To produce thyroid hormones, the thyroid needs a chemical element called iodine that the body absorbs from the foods such as seafood, bread, and salt and from the water you drink. “The entire body contains about 50 milligrams of iodine. About 1/5 to 1/3 of that supply (10 to 15 milligrams) is stored in your thyroid. The thyroid combines the iodine with tyrosine to make important hormones.”

Thyroid hormones travel through the bloodstream of your body’s cells. They are important to the growth and structure of bones, puberty and sexual development, and many other body functions. They are responsible for helping your cells convert oxygen and calories into the energy, which is needed to help them work properly. These hormones are important in making sure your body will mature as it should and may affect how your organs function.

The two most important thyroid hormones are thyroxine (T4) and triiodothronine (T3), which account for 99.9% and 0.1% of the thyroid hormones present in your blood supply. The hormone with the most biological activity is T3. Once it is released from the thyroid gland into the blood stream, a large amount of T4 is converted into T3, which is the active hormone that affects the metabolism of cells. (Ruchi Mathur)

Thyroid disease is a medical condition impairing the function of the thyroid. It also occurs when the gland doesn’t supply the proper amount of hormones in the

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