Thyroid function article

The thyroid is the largest endocrine gland of our body which is situated in the neck region. The thyroid lies below your Adam's apple(larynx). The thyroid has two lobes which are connected by a connective tissue known as isthmus. The structural and functional units of thyroid are thyroid follicles.

Being an endocrine gland, the secretions (hormones) of the thyroid are directly secreted into the blood stream. The thyroid secretes two hormones namely thyroxine and thyrocalcitonin.

Thyroxine controls the physical growth of our body. It also controls our body weight, respiration rate, heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, digestion,etc.
Deficiency of thyroxine in childhood stage causes a disease named cretinism while excessive secretion of thyroxine causes Graves's disease (exopthalmic goiter)

Thyrocalcitonin regulates the blood calcium level of our body.

Also, the back side of the thyroid gland houses another endocrine gland known as parathyroid glands. It secretes parathyroid hormone which along with thyrocalcitonin controls the calcium level of blood.