Thyroid gland. Coloured Gamma Scan (scintigram) of a healthy human thyroid gland, in front view. The thyroid is a main endocrine gland situated at the

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Thyroid gland. Coloured Gamma Scan (scintigram) of a healthy human thyroid gland, in front view. The thyroid is a main endocrine gland situated at the base of the neck, and is divided into two lobes (as seen here). A radioactive tracer (Technetium- 99m) highlights areas of activity in the gland: green (low activity); blue (high activity). The thyroid produces and stores hormones which control the metabolic rate of the body, influence growth and maturation, and regulate blood calcium levels. Gamma scanning involves introducing the radioactive tracer into the bloodstream, which is taken up by certain organs and detected as gamma rays by a gamma camera.

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Size: 5126px × 3481px
Photo credit: © CENTRE JEAN PERRIN/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: anatomy, body, endocrine, gamma, gland, hormone, human, normal, scan, scintigram, technetium-99m, thyroid