THYROID FUNCTION TESTS

Definition:

• are tests that detect increase or decrease of thyroid function

• includes clinical physical examinations as well as laboratory tests

Thyroid gland

v a butterfly shaped organ located near the larynx composed of a left lobe and right lobe connected by a thin strip of tissue

v the tissue stores thyroid hormone in the form of thyroglobulin, a glycoprotein

v also produces calcitonin, a hormone involved in the regulation of calcium

A. BACKGROUND

Thyroid hormones

v thyronine(T3) and Thyroxine (T4)

v stimulate metabolism throughout the body, increase consumption of oxygen, enhance carbohydrate metabolism and lipid utilization, stimulate protein synthesis, increase in cardiac contraction, over-all enhancement of growth

v synthesized in the Thyroid gland