parathyroid

/,pærə'θairouid/

Thân thiện

The doctor points to the parathyroid glands on a medical diagram.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • An endocrine gland: A parathyroid is any one of four small endocrine glands located near or embedded within the thyroid gland in the neck. These glands are primarily responsible for regulating the body's calcium and phosphorus levels by secreting parathyroid hormone (PTH).

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The surgeon carefully avoided damaging the parathyroids during the thyroidectomy.
  • A malfunctioning parathyroid can lead to abnormal calcium levels in the blood.

Advanced Usage

• "Parathyroid hormone (PTH)": The hormone secreted by the parathyroid glands, which is crucial for calcium homeostasis.
  • The doctor ordered a test to measure her parathyroid hormone levels.

Variants and Related Words

• Parathyroidectomy (n): The surgical removal of one or more parathyroid glands.
  • The patient underwent a parathyroidectomy to treat hyperparathyroidism.

Synonyms

• Parathyroid gland: The full anatomical term.

Related Terms (Not Phrasal Verbs or Idioms)

• Endocrine gland: A gland that secretes hormones directly into the bloodstream.
• Thyroid gland: The larger gland adjacent to which the parathyroids are located.

Học thuật

Noun

1. any one of four endocrine glands situated above or within the thyroid gland

Từ đồng nghĩa

• parathyroid gland