Question

A patient goes to the hospital for surgery to remove his thyroid gland. Which of the following conditions will the patient experience as a result of having his thyroid gland removed?

• A. He will lose weight rapidly.
• B. He will gain weight rapidly.
• C. His blood sugar will be unregulated.
• D. He will not produce hormones needed to regulate blood pressure properly.
• E. He will be unable to regulate calcium absorption in the bloodstream.

Answer 1

The correct option is B He will gain weight rapidly.

Thyroid gland secretes hormones Thyroxine and Calcitonin. Thyroxine stimulates oxygen consumption by metabolically active tissues. It helps to increase the oxidation of glucose in tissues and thus controls the basal metabolic rate. Calcitonin acts on bone and kidneys to reduce blood calcium level. It reduces the reabsorption of calcium from bones and inhibits reabsorption of calcium by the renal tubules.

If thyroid gland is removed, no thyroxine and calcitonin will be secreted. Thus glucose will not be oxidised and this will affect the metabolic activity of the body and will lead to increase in weight and the calcium level in the blood will be high because of absence of calcitonin.

So, the correct answer is 'He will gain weight rapidly'.