Thyroid

The thyroid is an unequal organ, located in the anterior region of the neck at the base of the throat. This gland plays an extremely important physiological role, since it directly influences skeletal and cerebral development, participates in the regulation of body metabolism

and to the development of skin, piliferous system and genital organs.

Located anterior to the larynx and trachea, the thyroid consists of two lobes, one right and one left, joined together by a transverse portion called the isthmus; this anatomical peculiarity gives the thyroid an appearance similar to an H or, more artistically, to a small butterfly. In a healthy adult each lobe measures about five centimeters, while the thyroid reaches, as a whole, a weight of about twenty grams. However, weight and size can vary, even considerably, depending on age (decreasing with age), sex (higher in men) and hormonal changes (puberty, pregnancy, breastfeeding, phase of the menstrual cycle, menopause).

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Thyroid and hormones

Thyroid functions

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Despite its small size, the thyroid influences the activity of a large part of the body through the hormones it produces and secretes into the bloodstream. The thyroid is therefore an endocrine gland; gland because it synthesizes and releases hormones, endocrine because it pours its secretion into the body's internal fluids, specifically into the blood.

Richly vascularized, it produces two very important hormones, triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4), which some have kindly compared to "fat-eaters". Before explaining the reason for this similarity, it is appropriate to spend a few words on their metabolism. To synthesize these hormones, the thyroid needs, first of all, a mineral - iodine - contained in sea salt, iodized salt, fish and many seafood. Not surprisingly, we find four iodine molecules in each thyroxine molecule, hence the abbreviation T4, and three iodine atoms for each triiodothyronine molecule, hence the abbreviation T3.

Secondly, the thyroid needs an ordinary amino acid, tyrosine, which the body can synthesize from an essential amino acid, phenylalanine, contained in protein foods, such as meat, fish, eggs and legumes. While tyrosine deficiencies are extremely rare, there are some regions of the planet where the dietary intake of iodine is completely insufficient to ensure normal thyroid activity. In an attempt to make up for these deficiencies, the gland increases in size forming the so-called goiter: a bulky mass visible to the naked eye in the front of the neck. A similar alteration can also occur under opposite conditions, ie when the body receives exaggerated amounts of iodine - through diet or specific drugs - which cause it to synthesize a surplus of thyroid hormones.