Thyroid Gland Flashcards
What is the developmental function of the thyroid?
→ CNS and bone
What is the metabolic function of the thyroid?
→ Essential for normal metabolism of many body tissues
What are the 2 main branches that supply the thyroid?
→ Inferior thyroid artery - subclavian
→ Superior thyroid artery - carotid
What are the hormonally active thyroid cells?
→ Follicular cells
What cells secrete calcitonin and what does it do?
→ C cells
→ Reduces plasma calcium
What is thyroid hormone derived from?
→ two iodinated tyrosine molecules
What are the two forms of thyroid hormone?
→ Tri iodothyronine (T3)
- active form
- converted in target cells
- binds to receptor and exerts its effects
→ Thyroxine T4
- major form released into blood
- less active
What is reverse T3?
→ Iodinated on a different side
→ Inactive
How does iodide diffuse into the cell?
1) uptake of iodide from the circulation via Na+- I- pump on basolateral side
2) iodiode diffuses out into the colloid via a pendrin exchanger
3) At the extracellular apical membrane iodine is oxidized to iodine and bound to tyrosine
What happens to iodide at the apical membrane?
1) At the extracellular apical membrane iodine is oxidized to iodine and bound to tyrosine
(this requires thyroid peroxidase and hydrogen peroxidase)
2) T4 and T3 are formed from di or mono iodinated thyroglobulin
How are T3 and T4 brought back into the cell?
1) TSH stimulates colloid droplets with thyroid hormones within the thyroglobulin chain are taken back up into the cell via pinocytosis
How is thyroglobulin separated from T3 and T4?
→ Colloid droplets fuse with lysosomes causing hydrolysis of thyroglobulin and the release of T3 and T4
How is most of the thyroid hormone found in the circulation?
→ Bound to plasma protein
→ mainly thyroid binding globulin
What is the most abundant form of thyroid hormone?
→ T4
What is the family of thyroid hormone receptors ?
→ Nuclear receptors
What does the thyroid receptor have a higher affinity for?
→ High affinity for T3
What does the thyroid receptor activation require?
→ Dimerization
→ with another TR or a RXR
Activation requires dimerization with another TR or retinoid X receptor (RXR)
What genes are thyroid receptors encoded by?
→ TR alpha
→ TR beta
Each of the receptors come in two isoforms by alternative splicing
What do nuclear receptors consist of?
→ DNA binding domain
→ Hormone binding domain
→ Transcription factor binding domain