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Article: Thyroid Disorders
- Article from:
- Encyclopedia of Public Health
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CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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THYROID DISORDERS
Thyroid disorders fall into two general categories:(1) dysfunction of thyroid hormone production; and (2) development of thyroid enlargements, called goiters, which include generalized enlargement of the gland and benign and malignant nodules. Thyroid dysfunction results either from increased or decreased secretion of thyroid hormones, called hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism, respectively.
NORMAL THYROID FUNCTION
The principal role of the thyroid gland is to manufacture, store, and secrete the thyroid hormones, l-thyroxine and l-triiodothyronine. A critical and unique component of these hormones is their iodine content: 4 atoms of iodine per molecule for l-thyroxine ...