Jump to content

Thyroid-stimulating hormone

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Thyroid-stimulating hormone (also known as thyrotropin, or TSH) is a hormone which stimulates the thyroid gland.

Diagram explaining the relationship between the thyroid hormones T3 and T4, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), and thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH)
The thyroid hormones T3 and T4 have a number of metabolic, cardiovascular and developmental effects on the body. The production is stimulated by release of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), which in turn depends on release of thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH). Every downstream hormone has negative feedback and decreases the level of the hormone that stimulates its release.

The thyroid gland secretes thyroid hormones, which control how fast the body's chemical functions go (the metabolic rate). Thyroid hormones influence the metabolic rate in two ways: by stimulating almost every tissue in the body to produce proteins and by increasing the amount of oxygen that cells use. Thyroid hormones affect many vital body functions.[1]

Thyrotropin is a glycoprotein hormone synthesized and secreted by thyrotrope cells in the anterior pituitary gland, which adjusts the endocrine function of the thyroid gland.[1][2][3]

[change | change source]

References

[change | change source]
  1. 1.0 1.1 Merck manual of diagnosis and therapy: thyroid gland disorders. [1]
  2. The American heritage dictionary of the English language, 4th ed. Houghton Mifflin Company. 2006. ISBN 0-395-82517-2.
  3. Sacher, Ronald; Richard A. McPherson (2000). Wildmann's clinical interpretation of laboratory tests, 11th edition. F.A. Davis Company. ISBN 0-8036-0270-7.