Cretinism (Congenital Hypothyroidism)
Thyroid gland and hormones
The thyroid is a small, bow tie shaped gland, sitting in front of the neck just below the Adam's apple. It produces a hormone that plays an important part in regulating the body's metabolism and organ function, and it influences every organ, tissue and cell in the body. The thyroid hormone, thyroxine(T4), is in turn produced under stimulation from the thyroid-stimulating hormone(TSH) - generated by the pituitary gland at the base of the brain.
Thyroid hormones stimulate the metabolism of cells. They are produced by the thyroid gland. The thyroid gland is located in the lower part of the neck, below the Adam's apple. The gland wraps around the windpipe (trachea) and has a shape that is similar to a butterfly formed by two wings (lobes) and attached by a middle part (isthmus).
The thyroid gland removes iodine from the blood (which comes mostly from a diet of foods such as seafood, bread, and salt) and uses it to produce thyroid hormones.
