Submitted by geistererscheinung t3_1158xwe in askscience
thewizardofosmium t1_j92sn0v wrote
Reply to comment by agate_ in Why does the thyroid use iodine ? by geistererscheinung
It's really no different from other hormones: they are only synthesized in one organ and then released into the body. Sex hormones are mainly (not exclusively) synthesized in the gonads, etc.
It is fascinating that the body regulates thyroid hormones the same way a chemical plant would regulate a key chemical today. The pituitary gland monitors the level of thyroxine in the blood and emits thyroid stimulating hormone in greater or lesser amounts if the thyroxine level is too low or too high. The thyroid, physically located separate from the pituitary, then produces thyroxine depending on the TSH level it senses. If the sensing function and the synthesis function were physically located at the same place, the body couldn't control what was happening.
geistererscheinung OP t1_j94p4o2 wrote
Thank you for your answer. Kinda cool how isolated the thyroid is...yet how tightly controlled the process must be.
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