For the Sake of Science

I just want this little piece published somewhere. 

The Body – Thyroid
Your Thyroid is a butterfly-shaped, brownish-reddish gland located in the front of your neck, just above the collarbone. It is seated atop the trachea, or windpipe, and just below the Adam’s apple. The thyroid is part of the endocrine system, which is responsible for producing, releasing, and regulating hormones in the body.

Attached to the outside of your thyroid are four, smaller glands called parathyroid glands. These glands are specifically responsible for bone growth and the development of the brain and nervous system. To either side of your thyroid, you will find your jugular vein and carotid artery. These veins and arteries are connected to smaller, branch-like veins and arteries that help carry the hormones released from your thyroid into your bloodstream and to the organs and tissues located throughout your body.

With the help of your pituitary gland, a pea-sized gland located at the base of the brain, your thyroid releases hormones that help regulate your body’s metabolism and burn energy. When your thyroid produces too much or too little hormone, the pituitary gland steps in and sends a signal for the thyroid to slow down or speed up hormone production as necessary. Your thyroid and your pituitary gland are both monitored by what is sometimes referred to as a “master” gland, or the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is located at the base of the brain, not far from the pituitary gland, and produces hormones that control body temperature, hunger, mood, sex drive, sleep, and thirst.

As a three-way system of hormonal management, the thyroid releases a necessary amount of hormones into your body based on signals sent from both the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus, which helps to regulate your weight, your energy levels, and your metabolism.
 
Sources
1. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002380.htm
2. http://vsearch.nlm.nih.gov/vivisimo/cgi-bin/query- meta?v%3Aproject=medlineplus&query=thyroid&x=0&y=0
3. www.thyroid.org/patients/brochures/FunctionTests_brochure.pdf
4. http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/pituitary-tumor/overview.html 
5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thyroid