Thyroid body

(Anat.)

an endocrine gland having two lobes, located in the floor of the mouth or the region of the larynx, which secretes two hormones (thyroxine and triiodothyronine) that regulate the rates of growth and metabloism. In man and most mammals it is a highly vascular organ, partly surrounding the base of the larynx and the upper part of the trachea. Cases of hypothyroidism, where the gland is insufficiently active, can be treated by administration of thyroxine or a combination of thyroxine and triiodothyronine.