What is the thyroid?
The thyroid gland is located in the front part of the neck, in front of the trachea (wind-pipe) and esophagus (food-pipe). Normally, it cannot be seen and usually cannot be felt. It has two lobes, the left and the right lobe. These lobes are connected by a bridge of tissue, called the isthmus, to form a dumbbell-shape organ. The thyroid gland takes up iodine from the food we eat. It also makes a couple of important hormones, called thyroid hormones. Thyroid hormones help regulate the body’s metabolism, or how the body creates and uses energy. The thyroid gland contains two main types of cells. Cells called thyroid follicle cells make and store the thyroid hormone. Cells called C-cells make a hormone called calcitonin. This hormone helps control the calcium levels in the body.
The thyroid gland as a small organ located in the lower front of the neck. There are layers of skin , fat, and muscle on top of it and it sits right on top of the windpipe, or trachea. It is shaped somewhat like a butterfly and actually goes backwards a little bit on both sides sort of wrapping around the windpipe a little, and it often touches the esophagus, the tube through which food goes to the stomach. This explains why sometimes even moderate enlargement of the thyroid can cause symptoms of difficulty in swallowing or breathing. The normal thyroid gland cannot be felt on physical examination because its consistency is very similar to all the soft tissues that surround it. Indeed, when a medical student or intern tells me “I felt her thyroid and it was normal”, I very dramatically stop whatever I’m doing and ask “Well, did you feel it, or is it normal, because you can’t have it both ways?
The thyroid gland is located in the front part of the neck, in front of the trachea (wind-pipe) and esophagus (food-pipe). Normally, it cannot be seen and usually cannot be felt. It has two lobes, the left and the right lobe. These lobes are connected by a bridge of tissue, called the isthmus, to form a dumbbell-shape organ. The thyroid gland takes up iodine from the food we eat. It also makes a couple of important hormones, called thyroid hormones. Thyroid hormones help regulate the body’s metabolism, or how the body creates and uses energy. The thyroid gland contains two main types of cells. Cells called thyroid follicle cells make and store the thyroid hormone. Cells called C-cells make a hormone called calcitonin. This hormone helps control the calcium levels in the body.
The thyroid gland is under the Adam’s apple in the front part of the neck. In most people, it cannot be seen or felt. It is butterfly shaped, with 2 lobes — the right lobe and the left lobe — joined by a narrow isthmus. The thyroid gland contains mainly 2 types of cells — thyroid follicular cells and C cells (also called parafollicular cells). The follicular cells use iodine from the blood to make thyroid hormone, which helps regulate a person’s metabolism. Too much thyroid hormone (a condition called hyperthyroidism) can cause a rapid or irregular heartbeat, trouble sleeping, nervousness, hunger, weight loss, and a feeling of being too warm. Too little hormone (called hypothyroidism) causes a person to slow down, feel tired, and gain weight. The amount of thyroid hormone released by the thyroid is regulated by the pituitary gland at the base of the brain, which makes a substance called thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH).
The thyroid is a gland in the neck. It has two kinds of cells that make hormones. Follicular cells make thyroid hormone, which affects heart rate, body temperature, and energy level. C cells make calcitonin, a hormone that helps control the level of calcium in the blood. The thyroid is shaped like a butterfly and lies at the front of the neck, beneath the voice box (larynx). It has two parts, or lobes. The two lobes are separated by a thin section called the isthmus. A healthy thyroid is a little larger than a quarter. It usually cannot be felt through the skin. A swollen lobe might look or feel like a lump in the front of the neck. A swollen thyroid is called a goiter. Most goiters are caused by not enough iodine in the diet. Iodine is a substance found in shellfish and iodized salt. What is cancer, and what are the types of thyroid cancer? Cancer is a group of many related diseases. All cancers begin in cells, the body’s basic unit of life.
