Thyroid

High school (ages 12+)
Human Body

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/thyroid

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the location?Anterior neck, inferior to the thyroid cartilage and anterior to the trachea
2. What is the histological structure?Composed of follicles lined by follicular cells containing colloid
3. What is the thyroid gland and where is it located?The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in the front of your neck, just above your windpipe. It has two lobes connected by a small bridge called an isthmus.
4. How does the thyroid make hormones?Tiny cells in the thyroid use iodine to turn a protein called thyroglobulin into hormones T3 and T4. These hormones travel in the blood to help your body grow and stay warm.

Thyroglobulin: A protein synthesized by follicular cells that serves as a precursor for thyroid hormones.
Metabolic Rate: The rate at which the body uses energy at rest.
HPT Axis: The regulatory pathway involving the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and thyroid gland.