Thyroid Anatomy and Physiology Flashcards
At what vertebral level can the thyroid gland be found?
Level of C5
What is the basic functional unit of the thyroid?
Colloid surrounded by follicular cells, parafollicular cells are associated with the main unit
What are the stages of thyroid hormone synthesis?
Thyroglobulin synthesis Uptake and concentration of iodide Oxidation of iodide to iodine Iodination of thyroglobulin Formation of MIT and DIT Secretion
What are the stages of the synthesis and storage of T3 and T4?
Iodine taken up by follicle cells
Iodine attached to tyrosine residues on thyroglobulin to form MIT and DIT
Coupling of MIT and DIT (makes T3), and of two DITs (makes T4)
Stored in colloid thyroglobulin until required
What drugs inhibit the formation of MIT and DIT?
Carbimazole and propylthiouracil
What are some features of thyroxine (T4)?
90% of secreted thyroid hormone, converted to T3 by liver and kidneys
What are some features of tri-iodothyronine (T3)?
10% of secreted thyroid hormone, four times more potent than T4, major biologically active thyroid hormone
How are T3 and T4 transported?
Bound to serum proteins = thyroid binding globulin (TBG), thyroxine binding pre-albumin (TBPA), albumin
In what form can T3 and T4 enter cells?
Only unbound (free) T3 and T4 are available to cells
What are T3 and T4 nearly entirely bound by?
Plasma proteins
What are some features of the binding of T3?
Bound 10-20 times less avidly by TBG and not significantly by TTR = T3 has rapid onset and offset of action
What does metabolic state correlate to?
Correlates more closely with free than with the total concentration in the plasma
How does free hormone concentration affect concentration of total hormones?
Concentration doesn’t necessarily vary directly with that of the free hormones
What are the targets of thyroid hormones?
Virtually every tissue in the body, active throughout life to alter gene transcription and protein synthesis
How do thyroid hormones increase basal metabolic rate?
Increase number and size of mitochondria, oxygen use and rates of ATP hydrolysis, and synthesis of respiratory chain enzymes