Endocrinology Health Guide

The Parathyroid Glands

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Anatomy of the parathyroid glands:
The parathyroid glands are two small, oval-shaped glands located adjacent to the two thyroid gland lobes in the neck.

Function of the parathyroid glands:
Parathyroid glands produce parathyroid hormone, which plays a role in the regulation of calcium levels in the blood. Precise calcium levels are important in the human body, since small deviations can cause muscle and nerve impairment.

The parathyroid hormone stimulates the following functions:

release of calcium by bones into the bloodstream
absorption of food by the intestines
conservation of calcium by the kidneys

This page was last updated on: February 1, 2008.

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