In 1895, it was found that the thyroid gland was particularly rich in iodine. Iodine functions as a component of the thyroid hormones thyroxine and triiodothyronine. Thyroid hormones influence growth in general, including that of the nervous system and skeletal systems.
About 80 percent of the iodide is utilized for thyroxine synthesis. Thyroxine is carried through the circulatory system by the thyroid-binding protein.
Thyroxine regulates the basal metabolic rate, influences protein synthesis, and cholesterol production. Thyroxine increases the metabolic rate of tissue and also controls growth.
Excessive amounts of thyroxine being secreted from the thyroid gland, which consists of two lobes near the base of the neck, results in a process called hyperthyroidisms.
An iodine deficiency decreases thyroxine production, and lowered thyroxine production leads to increase production of thyroid-stimulating hormone by the pituitary which stimulates further growth of the thyroid.
Iodine and thyroxine
