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free thyroxine |
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free thyroxine,
the amount of the unbound, active thyroid hormone thyroxine circulating in the blood, measured by specific laboratory procedures. See also free thyroxine index. thyroxine (T4) [thi-rok´sin] a thyroid hormone that contains iodine and is a derivative of the amino acid tyrosine, occurring naturally as l-thyroxine; its chemical name is tetraiodothyronine. It is formed and stored in the thyroid follicles as thyroglobulin and released from the gland by the action of a proteolytic enzyme. It is deiodinated in peripheral tissues to form triiodothyronine (T3), which has a greater biological activity. Thyroxine acts as a catalyst in the body and influences a great variety of effects, including metabolic rate (oxygen consumption); growth and development; metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, electrolytes, and water; vitamin requirements; reproduction; and resistance to infection. Pharmaceutical preparations of thyroxine, extracted from animals or made synthetically, are called levothyroxine. free thyroxine the fraction of thyroxine in the serum that is not bound to a binding protein.
thyroxine, thyroxin a hormone of the thyroid gland that contains iodine and is a derivative of the amino acid tyrosine. The chemical name for thyroxine is tetraiodothyronine (symbol, T4); it is formed and stored in the thyroid follicles as thyroglobulin, the storage form. Thyroxine is released from the gland by the action of a proteolytic enzyme. T4 is deiodinated in peripheral tissues to form tri-iodothyronine (T3), which has a greater biological activity. Thyroxine acts as a catalyst in the body and influences a great variety of effects, including metabolic rate (oxygen consumption); growth and development; metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, electrolytes and water; vitamin requirements; reproduction; and resistance to infection. Thyroxine can be extracted from animals or made synthetically; it is used in the treatment of hypothyroidism and some types of goiter. free thyroxine the metabolically active fraction of thyroxine; abbreviated FT4, Tf. T4 = Tf + TBG. The amount is very small and difficult to estimate so that the amount present in serum is not used as a more accurate indicator of thyroxine status than T4. thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG) most (99.95%) of the thyroxine in plasma is bound to globulin and a small amount bound to prealbumin. thyroxine-binding prealbumin bound to a small fraction of circulating T4. This is the only known function of prealbumins. L-thyroxine see levothyroxine. Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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