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Parathyroid glands
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The parathyroid glands are four small circular glandular structures embedded in the posterior surface of the thyroid gland. They are an endocrine gland, producing parathyroid hormone (parathormone, PTH) which acts to control the level of calcium and phosphorus in the blood. When serum levels of calcium drops too low, the parathyroid hormone acts on the skeleton, kidneys and intestine to restore calcium ions to its homeostatic level.
The parathyroid glands are supplied by the inferior thyroid artery, the thyroid plexus of veins and the thyroid branches of the cervical sympathetic ganglia.
| Terminology |
English: Parathyroid glands Latin: Glandulae parathyreoideae |
| Definition | Small endocrine glands embedded in the posterior aspect of the thyroid gland |
| Function | Produces parathyroid hormone which acts to control serum levels of calcium and phosphorus |
Learn more about the thyroid and parathyroid glands with this study unit:
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