Question

The diagram given below represents the location and structure of an endocrine gland. Study the same and answer the questions that follow:
Name the endocrine gland shown in the diagram.

Answer 1

The given diagram is that of thyroid gland which is the largest endocrine gland in the human body. The thyroid gland surrounds the front of the larynx and upper part of trachea in the neck. It is a bilobed, highly vascular organ. The two lobes are connected by a narrow band, the isthmus. It is composed of rounded follicles held together by loose connective tissue, the stroma and enclosed by a thin fibroelastic capsule. The thyroid gland is endodermal in origin. In adult human beings, the thyroid gland measures 5cm in length and 3 cm in width. Its average weight is 25 gms. It is somewhat larger in women. The gland is divided internal into large number of lobules by thin septa. The wall of each thyroid consists of a single layered cuboidal epithelium suspended from a basal lamina.