Thyroid gland Flashcards
1
Q
2 types of thyroid hormone
A
Thyroxine - T4
Triiodothyronine - T3
- Regulate metabolic rate
- Normal growth and development
- Cretinism associated with abnormal growth of thyroid gland
2
Q
Function of calcitonin
A
Control of plasma Ca2+
3
Q
Structure of thyroid gland
A
weighs 20g
Goiter => enlarged gland
- Bilobed with thin isthmus
- Highly vascular - 4-6 ml/min/g
4
Q
Microscopic structure of thyroid gland
A
Closely packed acini or follicles
WALL
- Single layer of cells
- Columnar - active
- Cuboidal/low columnar - inactive
INTERIOR
- Clear proteinaceous colloid
- Basement membrane
- Mucopolysaccharides
Activity of individual lobules can vary
(photo below - INACTIVE - colloid is large for storage)
5
Q
I Owe Our Cousin Reimbursement
5 steps in synthesis of thyroid hormones
A
- Iodide trapping
- Oxidation
- Organification
- Coupling
- Release
6
Q
Iodide trapping
A
- Na+ dependent active process
- DIET - Iodide (I-): eggs, seafood, salt - 1mg/week
- Plasma I- = 1-1.5 ug/L
TRAPPING
- Secondary active transport mechanism - Na=/K= ATPase
- Tissue:Plasma [I-]: 20-30:1 // MAX TSH stimulation 200:1
7
Q
Oxidation
A
- Iodide to iodine I- + I- => I2
- Catalysed by peroxidase enzymes at cell-colloid interface
- Iodine incorporated into colloid
8
Q
Thyroglobulin of organification
A
- Glycoprotein (10% CHO)
- MW 660,000
- 2 identical subunits
- 132 tyrosine residues - 25-30 iodinated
- 6-8 go to form iodo-thyronine
- 3-4 molecules T4 per molecule thyroglobulin
- 1 in 5 thyroglobulin molecules have T3
9
Q
Organification
A
- I2 coupled to tyrosine residues of thyroglobulin
10
Q
Coupling
A
- Iodinated tyrosine residues
- Coupling of 2 DITs = T4
- Coupling of DIT with MIT = T3
11
Q
Release
A
- Pinocytosis
- Exocytosis of colloid via pseudopodia - most recently synthesised first used
- Fuse with lysosomes
- Acid proteases break down thyroglobulin
- Iodide conserved by deiodination of MIT & DIT
- 80 ug of T4 & 4ug T3 (10x more potent) released per day
- Release stimulated // TSH
12
Q
Total T4 in blood
A
1 x 10-7 mol/L
13
Q
Total T3 in blood
A
2 x 10-9 mol/L
14
Q
Free circulating T4
A
0.03% - 3 x 10-11 M
15
Q
Free circulating T3
A
10-12 M