Thyroid gland
The thyroid gland is located in the front of the neck. It has two lobes, one on each side of trachea (or windpipe). The lobes are connected by a thin band of tissue, while a network of blood vessels surrounds the gland. The thyroid takes the iodine from the blood and uses it to make the active hormones thyroxine, also called tetraiodothyronine and triiodothyronine. An inactive form of thyroid hormones is stored inside the lobes in small chambers called follicles.
Thyroid hormones are released into the bloodstream, cells increase the rate at which they convert oxygen and nutrients into energy and heat for the body's use. During a child's development, thyroid hormones stimulate an increase in growth rate. Release of thyroid hormones also stimulates mental activity and increases the activity of the other hormone-producing glands.
