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Book

Embryology, Thyroid

Ryan D. Rosen  1 , Amit Sapra  2
In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan.
.
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Book

Embryology, Thyroid

Ryan D. Rosen et al.
Free Books & Documents

Excerpt

The thyroid gland is a small gland with significant effects. The mature thyroid gland is located in the neck and is responsible for delivering hormones to the body. Hormones released from the thyroid include thyroxine and calcitonin, which have an impact on the body's basal metabolic rate, heart, brain, muscle, digestive tract, and calcium homeostasis. The thyroid is the body's first endocrine gland to develop, with development beginning around the third week of gestation.

The thyroid arises from the pharyngeal pouches, which are composed of endoderm. Thyroid development begins as a diverticular outgrowth from the primitive pharynx. The diverticulum then descends inferiorly to reach its final destination in the neck. Traditionally, the thyroid is located inferior to the thyroid cartilage, approximately at the level of the C5-T1 vertebrae. During its descent, the thyroid connects to the tongue by the thyroglossal duct.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: Ryan Rosen declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Amit Sapra declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

References

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