A view from the cloud!

 Just got home from the gym and here I am sitting at the front of my desktop computer while surfing the net, eating my favorite dish "Pork Adobo" and at the same time browsing my books wherein it has something to do with "Endocrine System". Bishop, Calbreath and Marshall & Bangert, these are the authors of the books that will help me explain the Thyroid gland which is under the Endocrine system carefully.

Photo by Go Inso Photography

"I cannot lose even a pound of my weight!", "I hate this body! I'm so fat" and blah blah blah!. I hear it all the time at the classroom, gym, canteen or should I say Everywhere. Most of the times, it is kinda exaggerated as I watch the same people complain.Sometimes it disturbs me. Sometimes it makes me laugh. I said it "disturbs me" because not being able to lose weight is a very real biological problem for a very small percentage of the population, especially women. Sometimes these are the persons who actually done all they can do and give up and usually they succumb to the life of a couch potato out of frustration, of which the source is an underactive Thyroid Gland.

Photo by Pitt.edu

Just like what I've explained on my previous post, Endocrine system is  a system of glands that secrete chemicals called Hormones into the bloodstream and the Thyroid gland which is our main topic is a part of this. Hormones can act slowly or quickly, they are responsible for enormous growth and change and also they govern our emotions. 

 

Awhile ago, I mentioned the term "weight loss". Wherein in the terms of weight loss and weight gain, the spotlight is turned on a different part of the Endocrine system and a different type of hormone, of which is the Thyroid Gland is the star.

According to "Principles of Human Anatomy by Gerard J Tortora, page 617 of Chapter 18", thyroid gland resides in the front of the neck just below the larynx. It consists of two lobes which make the structure look a bit like a butterfly. Its power is not to be underestimated. This gland can make you either love your mirror or make you want to hide under your quilt in your baggy tracksuit pants since it's main job is to make thyroxine. Simply put, if you do not have an adequate amount of thyroxine in your blood stream to stimulate your metabolism, it will be very difficult for you to lose weight. 

The paragraph above already mentioned one of the hormones that the thyroid gland secretes,  Thyroxine(T4) which is an iodine-containing hormone. It is form by combining the amino acid tyrosine with iodine. The following are the functions of Thyroxine:

• It causes an increase rate in CHO metabolism.
• A sudden rise in rate of protein synthesis and breakdown.
• excites the nervous system and leads to increased activity of the Endocrine system.

The next hormone to be discuss is Triiodothyronine(T3), it affects almost of the every physiological process in the body, including metabolism, body temperature, heart rate and growth. It is the most powerful hormone produce by the Thyroid gland. There are two types of T3 thyroid hormones. The first one, called type I is found in the liver and the second, type II, is found in the pituitary. Both thyroid hormones. The following are the functions of Triiodothyronine:

• Increased the consumption of both oxygen and energy in the body.
• Increased the synthesis and degradation of endogenous macromolecules.
• Increased protein degradation and synthesis.
• has a role in the breakdown of cholesterol.

The last hormone to be discuss is the Calcitonin, wherein it has to do with calcium and phosphorus metabolism. The major source of this hormon is from the C cells that can be found in the thyroid gland.

Video by neurocirujo

Take note, to be a PROUD owner of a healthy thyroid gland, and have more efficient metabolism, you will also need to consume adequate amounts of the mineral, Iodine.

Upon reading my post, I know some of you right now are wondering if there is such a thing as an Overactive Thyroid. Well, the answer is YES!, there is, and NO!, no because it is not a ticket to slim heaven!

As of now, our Endocrine system is working hard, to keep us healthy and active, just like all the other systems in the body and it doesn't require much upkeep. All we have to do is stay healthy and get some regular exercise and expect our general metabolism to slow down a little as we get old.

Kudos everyone! Now, I'm off to eat a full dinner after some intense gym sessions. Thank you for your time reading my post. Salamat.

Images source:

Image by Go Inso Photography

Image by Pitt.edu

Book references:

Clinical Chemistry: A Fundamental Textbook by Donald F. Calbreath

Clinical Chemistry by William J. Marshall, Stephen K. Bangert

Clinical Chemistry: Principles, Procedures, Correlations by Bishop

Principles of Human Anatomy by Gerard J Tortora

Online source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thyroid

http://thyroid.about.com/library/links/blthyroid.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thyroid_hormone

http://www.endocrineweb.com/thyfunction.html

http://www.uptodate.com/patients/content/topic.do?topicKey=~VxyrNsQJPivkur