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Thyroid and parathyroid glands

Illustration copyright 2000 by Nucleus Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. http://www.nucleusinc.com

The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland that lies in front of the windpipe (trachea), just below the voice box (larynx). The thyroid gland uses iodine from food to make two thyroid hormones that regulate the way the body uses energy.

The parathyroid glands (shown below) are four tiny glands located within the thyroid gland. The parathyroid glands produce a substance (parathyroid hormone) that helps control the amount of calcium in the blood.

Illustration copyright 2000 by Nucleus Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. http://www.nucleusinc.com

Primary Medical Reviewer E. Gregory Thompson, MD
- Internal Medicine
Specialist Medical Reviewer Matthew I. Kim, MD
- Endocrinology & Metabolism
Last Updated September 19, 2007

WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise

Last Updated: September 19, 2007
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