Your Parathyroid Glands

1 ANSWERS

1. Brett
   

   Parathyroid glands are small glands of the endocrine system which are located behind the thyroid. There are four parathyroid glands which are normally about the size and shape of a grain of rice. They are shown in this picture as the mustard yellow glands behind the pink thyroid gland. This is their normal color. The sole purpose of the parathyroid glands are to regulate the calcium level in our bodies within a very narrow range so that the nervous and muscular systems can function properly. Although they are neighbors and both part of the endocrine system, the thyroid and parathyroid glands are otherwise unrelated. The single major disease of parathyroid glands is overactivity of one or more of the parathyroids which make too much parathyroid hormone causing a
   
   To make this information more understandable, we have separated our parathyroid pages into specific topics. Once you read about a topic, more detailed information is available if you want it. There are dozens of drawings and x-rays to help explain the topics, and over 60 pages of typed text on parathyroid disease. If you get a little lost, come back here, go to the index page to see where you have and have not been, or use our new search engine.

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