The Thyroid and Parathyroid Glands

The thyroid gland is located in the front, lower part of the neck, below the larynx. The small, two inch gland, consists of two lobes, one on each side of the trachea, connected by a thin strand of thyroid tissue, the isthmus. The parathyroid glands, small and oval-shaped, are located in each corner of thyroid gland lobes. Occasionally, people are born with one or more parathyroid glands inside the thyroid, inside the thymus, or somewhere else in the chest. Even when the glands aren't found right outside the thyroid, they continue to function normally.
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