Your thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in your neck. Its follicular cells make the hormone that sets how fast your body uses energy.
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Your thyroid is a gland in the front of your neck, shaped a bit like a butterfly.
Inside it are lots of tiny hollow balls called follicles. Each ball has a wall made of one layer of follicular cells.
The middle of each ball is filled with a thick, gooey liquid called colloid. It is a storeroom for the hormone the cells are making.
The thyroid can keep enough hormone stored in its colloid to last for weeks!
Follicular cells make thyroid hormone. It helps set how fast your cells use energy. It also helps kids grow and helps the brain develop.
To make it, the cells need iodine. You get iodine from food, like iodized salt, fish, eggs, and milk.
When your body needs more, the pituitary gland sends a message called TSH, and the follicular cells pull hormone out of their storeroom and send it into the blood.
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